Truly a normal afternoon this past Monday. I was doing what I do best (“Workin’ hard to get my fill”) and writing a pre-scheduled blog post (so “it goes on and on”), which will be shared in the near future.
I just put the finishing touches on it when I realized the time and knew I needed to go get my girls from pre-school, which would let out in the next 20 minutes at 3 pm.
Heading out my front door, I smelled what to me could be taken for burnt rubber. My initial thought was that as cold as it was earlier in the morning with a freak snow storm that pretty much was all cleared up as the April sun came out and did the trick melting the inch or so that had dropped hours earlier, that it wasn’t cold enough for a fire place. So, the smell couldn’t have been a fire place. Yet, it was too cold and too early in the day for a barbecue to be lit and going. But, yet, I couldn’t help, but think something was burning.
However, I got in my car and put it out of my mind, because I didn’t want to be late getting the girls from school. As I made the left hand turn out of my block and tried to merge onto the main road to head north towards the girls’ pre-school, I looked up and was overtaken with black, sooty, billowing clouds.
I knew right away that these were definitely not rain clouds (as the storm had passed and the sun was clearly out). And looked like smoke coming from the distant horizon. It dawned on me that I was not going to be able to merge, as a volunteer fire truck zoomed past me on my left and then seeing traffic pretty much at a stand stile right past the approaching light.
The sky was grey, as dark as the night and knew pretty quickly there was a fire somewhere pretty close by.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure where, but could judge from the proximity of the ashen sky it was close and definitely far off.
I had about 15 minutes to play with now to pick up the girls from the end of their pre-school day.
I barely made it there, taking the back roads avoiding the fire just north of us.
Once, I had my girls safely in my car, I placed a phone call to my parents at home putting them on speaker phone while drove back towards home. They put on the local news channel and found out the fire was literally 2 minutes down the road north at a local pool store known as, Island Recreational.
The fire had literally just started shortly before I saw those clouds a little before 3 pm when the general manager and his employees saw lights flash and also heard popping like noises from the ceiling and continued to rage on until it was brought under control around 5:30 pm (for almost 2 1/2 hours). It took a hundred firefighters from 13 different fire companies to bring this fire indeed under control.
This was a store that has been around since 1976 and a staple in the community for seasonal pool needs. I had friends who worked there during summers’ past when I was younger and in high school.
For I live in a small suburban town (“Just a small town girl”) and was moved here as a teenager. I actually went to school and graduated with the local pizzeria owner’s son, who has had his pizzeria in that shopping center for as long as I can recall and remember. This is a town where most people know each other or know someone that knows you.
Never in a million years would I have imagined a fire of this magnitude almost in my own backyard.
The massive fire even caused the one lane traffic road to be shut down for hours upon hours while the fire fighters were battling the fire.
Now it has since re-opened and passing by to see a huge hole (the building it pretty much gone) where the pool supply store is surreal. I can’t avoid passing it to get from one end of the town to the next myself.
In the aftermath, cars are slowing down as you pass to indeed get a glimpse of the wreckage and I think many in the neighborhood are in a state of shock (including myself), because again a very small town that has very little front page breaking news stories occur here for us.
Our town definitely got its 5 minutes of fame from this, but at what cost?
Truly wish, that news’ outlets would show up for the good times and not just for the bad, because this was a tragedy that thankfully didn’t take any lives or cause many major injuries. But still not only was the Island Recreational Pool Supplies Store demolished, but so a local barber store and Chinese restaurant (owned by the family of a girl I graduated with also) in that same shopping center damaged, too.
Will admit this is one Monday afternoon, I will not be soon forgetting and like a train wreck will not be able to look away when I pass the once pool supply store that now is very much all but gone will rubble standing in its once former place.
Just a building, indeed, in a small town, but definitely holds enough memories for all those that have and do live here, as well as for this small town girl, who a day later is exhausted from (“taking that midnight train”) being up very early the morning before with Emma, who was having nightmares about squirrels being in her bedroom (couldn’t make this up if I tried either).
Crazy as it sounds my emotions are heightened and have the Journey song, “Don’t Stop Believin'” in my head on this Wednesday, if you couldn’t tell.
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massholemommy says
That truly is sad. I grew up in a small town and I totally understand that it was a piece of the community and it's hard to lose it so harshly like that.
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Janine Huldie says
Thanks for your kind words. It really is very sad and still kind of can't believe that this happened earlier in the week here.
another jennifer says
We lost an old building that housed local businesses and apartments in our town a few years back. It was so weird to see it go down. No one was hurt, thankfully, but many people were displaced. It's still a vacant lot today.
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Janine Huldie says
Definitely is such a surreal feeling and so sorry that you had something similar happen in your town, too. I am truly not sure what they will do if it will remain as a vacant spot or if they will rebuild. I guess time will tell now.
dishofdailylife says
Oh no, that is terrible. I hate seeing things like this happen. I'm sorry Janine.
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Janine Huldie says
Thanks so much and I truly not a fan of seeing stuff like this and still can’t believe that it happened right down the road from us.
MelChi says
Fires are so scary. We have them often here in summer because stupid people are negligent about tossing their cigarette buds out of cars and that sort of thing. But that fire looks terrifying, and especially because it was so close to your home. So sad when things like this happen to places we've gotten used to. Glad you're okay and managed to get a safe back route! 🙂
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Janine Huldie says
Definitely do see more fires in the summertime here, too. Not even that weather yet, but still was a crazy, huge fire. Still shocked at how close it was and definitely thankful that no one truly got hurt from this and that they did get it under control.
April G says
How devastating for your town. Sadly, people don’t watch feel good pieces as much as they watch dramatic or tragic ones, thus they are always there for the bad.
Janine Huldie says
Very true April and definitely seem to watch as much of the good stuff as the tragic ones and even cars slowing to look, it was pretty much as we always say you just can't help but stop to look at a train wreck not being able to look away.
Kerri says
First I now have that song in my head. Thankfully I love it. But I am sorry that your town was hurt and happy that you will all band together and support the businesses you admire.
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Janine Huldie says
Kerri, Iit definitely is a great song and for some reason, I couldn't get it out of my head as I wrote my feelings here and knew I needed to incorporate it. But as for the issue at hand, I will proudly help any one I can with this one, because I am truly proud to have lived so much of my life in this town 🙂
Kate says
It's always scary! Glad you and your girls were safe and sound 🙂
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Janine Huldie says
Thanks Kate and not going to lie when I say that I am glad we are all physically ok 🙂
Billybuc says
Well that was refreshing, Janine. It's nice to see you showcase your writing abilities.
I have seen several fires and their destructive force, and I have not forgotten them, and they hit me hard as this one hit you…..thank you for sharing this with us.
Have a wonderful day my friend
bill
Janine Huldie says
Thanks Bill! The writer in me is definitely very much still alive and kicking. Trust me, I love being able to showcase my innermost thoughts here and just honored that you come to read and think that there is talent still here in my written words. So for that truly appreciate it and wishing you a great day again now 🙂
tamaralikecamera says
Glad you're all ok!
There was a tragic fire to several businesses over the winter. No one lost their lives, but they lost decades-old businesses. And of course, my favorite one – my cookie/pastry shop. They are rebuilding but I definitely shed a lot of tears and I have missed them every day since the fire. When they reopen (and we don't know when yet but I stalk the building and they put a sign up) I will show up that morning and buy all of my favorites.
And I will blog about it.
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Janine Huldie says
I am going to hold you on blogging about it and totally would have cried if it was a bakery that burned to the ground with my sweet tooth, but a pool store truly upset me in the grand scheme of things, because you know how much I love the warm, pool weather.
Rosey says
Oh no, Janine. That's awful, and I'm really sorry to hear it. 🙁
Janine Huldie says
Aww, thank Rosey and seriously appreciate your kind words 🙂
The Dose of Reality says
Oh, I know *exactly* what you mean. You see things happening all the time on the news (obviously only bad for the most part) but it is always somewhere else. I never feels like a huge and tragic thing like this could ever be in *your* backyard…until it is.
This sounds so scary and surreal. It really feels like a gut punch when a business or landmark that has been around forever is suddenly gone. It's so sad and disorienting.
I'm so glad that nobody was hurt. It sounds like that's a miracle given the magnitude of what happened.
Still , it's just so sad that rubble is all that is left of a place where you made so many memories. HOLD ON TO THAT FEELING (the old memories feelings, I mean) 🙁 –Lisa
Janine Huldie says
Aww, thanks Lisa and I couldn’t agree more. So trying to hold onto that feeling even as I type this. Hugs 🙂
lovingmarshall says
Wow! How frightening! I grew up in a very small town as well, and I can relate to that feeling. I'm glad everyone was safe. Sounds like your town has some amazing first responders.
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Janine Huldie says
Nice to know you can relate to this Lauren and we really do have some wonderful volunteers that responded to this. Very thankful for that indeed 🙂
day-with-kt.com says
Oh, Janine – I'm so sorry!!! I've lived in small towns like that before and know that even though it is "just a building" it is so much more than that!!! I'm glad that no one was injured but I'm sorry for the loss for your friend's families!!!
Hugs to you!!!!
And, now I'm singing some Journey in my head!!!
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Janine Huldie says
Thank you for the hugs and know I truly love you for that and more Kim. Also, happy to be able to put Journey in your head today. seriously still such a classic band and song, too 🙂
notinjersey says
sorry to hear about the fire. there was one like that where I used to live. I was away at the time, otherwise I'm sure it would have been very hard to handle!
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Janine Huldie says
Honestly glad you were away when this happened where you once lived and admit it still surreal and just passed by again after dropping Emma off at school and they are now beginning to clean up and looks like they may indeed be rebuilding from the trailer are saw labeled in front of the wreckage. So time will tell now.
Karen says
OMG how scary and sad. As I read this I was so worried you wer going to write that you couldn't get to them or were stuck in traffic. I know one time there was a HUGE accident and it took an hour to get to Anthony, I hated not being able to get him and just wanted him home safe with me.
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Janine Huldie says
That was my worst fear being stuck in traffic unable to get them. I could call the school, but always feel so bad just thinking I would be late and they would be missing and looking for me. I jut thank god I know the back roads and could get there with time to spare 🙂
stephanie2006 says
I bet it's heartbreaking! A couple of the historic buildings in our downtown had to be torn down because the companies who rented them let then crumble and go to pieces. I think I almost cried when I saw it… But I'm glad no-one was hurt in the fire..
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Janine Huldie says
Thanks Stephanie and I had a lump in my throat when I saw the wreckage. Truly wasn't expecting the magnitude of this at all.
Kristi Campbell says
That's so sad, Janine! Where my mom lives, in Bozeman, MT, they had a fire downtown and it was so so sad…I really feel badly for the owners of the pool place and your whole town.
And squirrels in her bedroom? Too cute. Tucker's been convinced recently that bees are in his.
Janine Huldie says
Thank you so much Kristi for your thoughts. The pool place actually just had renovated the store, so it is truly terrible timing for them to have this happen. And sounds like Tucker’s bees and Emma’s squirrel would get along famously 🙂
Dana says
How terrible, Janine! It's so sad to see the burnt remains of a thriving business. I hope they will be able to rebuild.
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Janine Huldie says
Thank you Dana and hoping they can rebuild it now, too.
Nellie says
I am glad everyone is okay and no lives were lost, but I am sad for the building and business owners as they now have to rebuild Pretty scary stuff when this happens in your back yard!
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Janine Huldie says
Thanks Nellie and definitely was scary to have it be so close to where we live.
gigigirl says
So glad you all are OK. But sorry for the loss of the businesses. See you soon! xxoo
Janine Huldie says
Aww, thanks so much Aunt Gloria and see you next week now! Xoxo 🙂
vitatrain4life says
I totally get why you would feel that way – being a small town girl myself. Something like that can be devastating to the entire community. I'm so sorry that happened and hope that a lot of good can come from it.
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Janine Huldie says
Thanks for understanding Allie and I too hope something good can indeed come from this now 🙂
pfchico says
How horrible, Janine. I hope all injured recover quickly and I hope the same for your town.
mamarabia says
What a tragedy! I, too, live in an "everybody knows everybody" kind of town. There are some times where that gets annoying, but most of the time I appreciate it.
PS Thanks for getting that song stuck in my head!!
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Janine Huldie says
Happy to get that song stuck in your head and still singing it today myself!! 🙂
Sandy_Ramsey says
This is so tragic. It makes my heart hurt when I drive by places that I knew when I was growing up and they were closed or just gone. I can certainly understand how this would make you emotional. In the end, I am glad that no one was hurt, or worse. Buildings can be rebuilt. Chin up, young person 🙂
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Janine Huldie says
Aww,thanks Sandy and it was just so surreal as it was happening, but thankfully I agree no one was hurt and they are trying to rebuild now. So, definitely trying to be hopeful!! 🙂
dianeroark says
Janine,
What a crazy day! The fire looks horrible. I glad you were able to pick your girls up on time and you were all safe. I am so sorry! I am also glad it was not any closer to you.
Blessings and stay safe!!!
Diane Roark
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Janine Huldie says
Thanks again Diane and definitely was a bit scary. Just glad all is well that ended well at this point.