Machine Gun Fire

Last week I helped Jeff write a paper on affirmative action. The first paragraph went like this:

Imagine for a moment your home is on fire. You and your family are safely outside, but you are watching years of memories burn. As the fire department unloads their hoses and tries to save your home, would you rather have the fire fighters who were hired because they were the best candidates for the job or the fire fighters who were hired because of affirmative action requirements? 

Little did I know fears of this very scene would be rushing towards me in less than 48 hours.

On Sunday evening, I sat down to watch THE GATES (amazing show ps) when the best part was interrupted by "Breaking News" and there on my television screen, I saw this:

  

I ran to the kitchen to find the emergency numbers my parents had left (they are on vacation in Greece/Turkey currently). I called all the neighbors with no answer. FINALLY the next-door neighbor called and told me they would be evacuated soon and I should come up, if we could make it. I woke Jeff up and we drove as fast as possible up to my parents home on the West Bench in Herriman.

It seemed like the longest drive of my life and my panic wasn't helping. As soon as we reached point of the mountain in Draper, I was in total shock at the sight of the entire mountain on fire. We got up to the house, backed the truck up to the door, and just started going through the house. Picture albums, important documents, family heirlooms, a few clothes...what else can't we live without?

It was completely overwhelming but we finally decided to leave with what we had in the cars around 11pm. The neighbors took this picture from their driveway.

We drove to the Walmart off Bangerter Hwy and watched the flames quickly devour the mountainside. What could we do?

We finally went home to Springville at about 1am and barely slept before I went to work early so we could head back up to check on the house as soon as possible.

We got up to the house about noon on Monday. The hillside had an awful burn scar down to about 500 yards about the houses across the street. The only words I have left at this point...

What a miracle...what a blessing...but what awful devastation for those families who lost everything.