Ordinarily at bedtime, our dogs — Freckles and Rocky— share our bedroom, Freckles on her pillow by our bedside and Rocky by her side, sprawled out on his special blanket.
But one day in June, it was so hot Jim and I decided to let them sleep outside on the deck. They stated their preference by continuing to lay there when called. Usually, they trail after us. We were reluctant to leave them there, but decided their relief from the day’s heat was worth the risk of being awakened in the middle of the night by their possible barking.
We had just fallen asleep when we heard their repeated barking, in unison. Annoyed by being awakened, I was afraid the neighbors were going to have a fit because their barking was becoming louder and louder. Jim ran to the window to scold them when I heard him yell, “It’s a fire!”
I looked out, and saw that our hedge that borders our fence was ablaze. The fire was quickly approaching the nearby shed that hold flammable chemicals for our yard service.
From then on, it was panic! I dialed 911 and yelled to my son, Scott, “Wake up, it’s a fire!” while Jim groped in the dark for the garden hose. Between Jim and Scott, they were able to get the fire under control before it reached the shed and our house.
The fire was caused by someone starting their Fourth of July early and shooting off a bottle rocket that landed in our hedge.
Now that the ordeal is over, I can’t help but wonder about all those what-ifs. What if we had decided not to let the dogs stay outside? What if the shed had exploded and the fire spread to our house? What if the evening hadn’t been so warm? But most of all, what if we didn’t have our two loyal friends — our heroes, Freckles and Rocky?
Everybody Has a Story welcomes nonfiction contributions, 1,000 words maximum, and relevant photographs. Email is the best way to send materials so we don’t have to retype your words or borrow original photos. Send to neighbors@columbian.com or P.O. Box 180, Vancouver WA 98666. Call Scott Hewitt, 360-735-4525, with questions.
