The good news first. No humans were hurt and property damage, even including the damage in the park, was minimal.
The bad news: the fire didn't burn all the bamboo.
And we're still waiting word from the wildlife. Hopefully, none of their homes were damaged.
I didn't actually see or smell the fire. I heard it. It sounded like some squirrels were prancing on my roof, so I didn't pay it any attention at first.
But after five or ten minutes, I decided the squirrels had had enough fun, so I went out on the deck to chase them away.
That's when I realized that those sounds were not the prancing of some animals on my roof, but the crackling of a good sized fire that was blazing in the park behind my house.
First thing to do, call 9-1-1. It took a bit of explaining when I said that the fire was actually in the park, not in my house (yet). The dispatcher didn't understand the Hundred Steps, either. But eventually the information was communicated.
Then I grabbed my camcorder.
And called my neighbor, JC.
Then I realized that I better get out my garden hose, because the fire was getting too close to my property. JC manned the hose while I worked the camcorder.
The fire department arrived a few minutes later and had the blaze under control in no time.
I'm still not sure what caused it. A tossed cigarette? Some kids playing with matches? I'm just glad that I was at home. Because if I hadn't been, who knows how long it would have been before someone noticed it.
Still, it would have been nice if the fire had consumed more of that blasted bamboo...
