MY MOUNTAIN IS ON ****FIRE****!!!--UPDATE

[Moniece Dickerson]

Mom just called and our mountain is on FIRE since yesterday!I didn't even know!The next town over is evacuating!They have STARS the handicaped riding center there with so many horses!!I'm so scared!!Gotta get my ducks in a row!Moniece

The fire is only a few miles up the mountain from the house but they have a dozer track around it and believe they have it contained but are staying with it.It does look better.Looks like tons of city lights now instead of a blaze but if it even looks like it's getting worse or comes closer we'll start hauling the animals out.The wind is low tonight so that is GREAT!The fire goes over 300 acres.THANK YOU ALL for caring and i'll keep up with updates.Moniece

[Terri]

OMG, Do you have a trialer to get out if you need to? Will say a prayer for you. How did your mountain get on fire?

[Moniece Dickerson]

It's started this way!!Yes thank God I DO have a trailer and i've made arangements to move the girls a LITTLE further if I need to but i've got these dogs,cats,and goats!!We're in Arkansas right next to Oklahoma and it's just SO dry!It's windy today so windy i'm SO nervous!!!!Moniece

[Brigitte]

That's just terrible, hope everything goes okay!

[Jane Hurl]

Don't wait 'til the last minute, Moniece. Start moving your critters out NOW! When B.C. burned, that was the worst problem. No one tried to leave 'til the last moment and then the highways were clogged and many folks had no alternative but to open gates and let their critters fend for themselves. Ugh!

[Edurne]

Good advice Jane - roads were blocked out of Houston during one of the hurricanes.

[Barbwire]

I'd 'git now, ax questions later', if I were you.

[Mellifluous]

Go ahead and get yourself out of there now. Better safe than sorry. Fire is nothing to play with. Keep a close eye on the weather forecasts. Pay attention to the realative humidity, temps and wind information.

And remember that winds can change direction at the drop of a hat and completely alter the course of a fire. You don't want to get surrounded or have the head of the fire charging at you.

GET OUT.

And please, don't evacuate your animals and stay yourself. Lots of people want to try and stay and save their house by spraying it with a waterhose. All this accomplishes is wasting water that the fire department needs. Get your keepsakes out and leave the rest. The fire department will save your house if they can. You can replace furniture and appliances, you can't replace yourselves or your memories.

You will be in our thoughts and prayers.

[Heidi]

People first.
Important papers (insurance, bank, wills, birth certs et cetera...), computer(s), photos, keepsake items and animals next.

Get the horses out, go back for the smaller ones with the trailer. Do you have enough kennel crates for the dogs/cats? If you do, you can haul everyone in the trailer with the goats if they are in crates, not cardbroad boxes. Some animals may, or may not, be able to be doubled up in the crates. Depends on how well they get along in stressful times.

Good luck!
Heidi

[Jasfino]

Horrible news! Please stay safe and be careful. What a nightmare.

[Pasomom]

Moniece, You've got some good advise here. Fire can be VERY unpredictable. I don't know how far away that neighboring town is, but as everyone says....Please don't wait until the last moment. If you are in an area that is already ridden with fires, the workers are going to be busy and may not be able to be everywhere at once. Please evacuate now. Its alot easier to move everyone back in an orderly manner, than to try to move them OUT in a frantic one! Particularily if you think you may need to make two trips or more. Start moving gal!

Please let us know if you can what is happening. Anyone on the board you are generally in phone contact with? Anyone out there have contact information for Moniece? Lets keep in touch with her if we can.

[Bonnie LR]

I was in BC when it burned so badly--the mountain above our place burned--many friends in different areas of the province lost houses or other property--get out now--no question--fire can be beyond any measure to slow it down, never mind stop it, if the weather is right.

[Pasomom]

Does any one have a mobile number for Moniece?

[Pasomom]

We have been in touch with Moniece about this fire. It is approx 3 miles from her house. Everything seems to have died down a bit this evening, but I have cautioned her that it doesn't necessarily have to stay that way. She is prepared to go when the time comes, however she may be alone when that time comes. Her hubby is susposed to leave on a trip tonight at 10:30.........He of course said if it is looking bad, he will not go.

She at least has a plan of action. Her parents are closer to the fire than she is, so we sure are worried about all of them! Everyone say a prayer for Moniece tonight that the fires will burn themselves out. She said that the fire fighters have run a fire line with a bull dozier in front of the fire....But from experience I know just how quick they can jump those lines. We had one jump a railroad track one time. (we were burning pasture....ugh! Had firefighters working that fire for weeks - turned into a muck fire....) Fortunately they are the ones that put in our fire lines for us, so it wasn't our fault. They also issued us a permit to burn. Winds jumped up the minute we lite the fire... jumped the fire line, and several hours later, jumped the railroad tracks.........what a fiasco! ) So believe me....I've had a little experience with fires!

[PASOFAN]

PRAYERS FROM MN...

I hate these kinds of fires.. I hope your all ok, if it were me I would be outta there w/all my loved ones safe..

I hope your ok...

[Jasfino]

Prayers for her going up. May God keep her safe.

[Moniece Dickerson]

This fire i'm told was started by someone making a CAMPFIRE up at lovers leap!In such dry and windy conditions!!!They probably won't be caught but I hope they are shaking in their boots!!I can't say I hope their place burns or burned but I sure do hope they are found and held responsibe!Moniece

[Pasomom]

Some people just have absolutely NO common sense!

[Moniece Dickerson]

A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to LEILA,PASOMOM,and MARLEEN ROBINSON for staying up on the phone and online with me tonight through this!!And also a special thanks to TERRI,BRIGITTE,JANE HURL,EDURNE,BARBARA C.,LEXI(Mel),HEIDI,JASFINO,BONNIE LR,and PASOFAN!!!!!!! I can not tell you all how much you being here meant to me!!Had Randy not been here all the babies and I would have been out of here and if anything like this ever happens again we'll go anyway but it's looking like this time we got lucky the fire looks to be going out.I won't sleep tonight but atleast I don't have to be so worried.I'll update till it's out but I feel real releaved about what i've seen on my last three fire checks.THANK YOU ALL so VERRY MUCH for your prayers and support!!!!!Moniece

[Pasomom]

We are all happy you are safe and sound and glad we could be here for you! You would do the same for any of us!

Just keep an eye on that fire every couple of hours! and UPDATE US! :D

[Jasfino]

Glad you are okay Moniece. I cant imagine anything more frightening.

[pasogalinbama]

Glad you are ok, we had a scar yesterday, neighbor was burning trash in 30 mile wind, and set the woods on fire, had to call to countys, and the state to help every thing is ok,
my prayers go to all the people and animals in the area of the wildfires. my God keep them safe.

[Barbwire]

Moniece, glad to hear you are all OK. You must have been scared to death! :shock:

[Terri]

Glad to hear all is okay. That is scary business!

[Pasogirlz]

What a relief! (((((hugs))))))

[Moniece Dickerson]

YES that was SCARY business!!The last time I checked lastnight I could not see fire and thismorning only smoke on our side.I went to sleep at 6am and got up at close to 9am to go feed so i'll probably sack out later but all looks good on our side so when I can sleep later i'll sleep good forsure.You know,I was never really scared of fire before but I sure am now.Randy is always on me to unplug things,I bet i'll never forget to again!Thank you all so much!!Moniece

[Heidi]

Fire scares me the most. It consumes everything and it hurts something awful if you get caught in it and manage to survive.
Heidi

[Bonnie LR]

Sure glad it didn't get closer--I feel the same as Heidi--fire is just amazingly scary out of control.

[Edurne]

Glad you are all safe - hope there won't be a next time, but great that you now have a plan of action in case of emergency.