Two Years and Two Days Ago 66 Homes Were Lost

Kathleen and I spent the last three days in Pocatello, Idaho. The event was my class reunion. We stayed with friends we met while serving full time in the Church Headquarters Family and Church History mission. This couple, we served with, lost their home in the Pocatello Mink Creek Fire while they were here. It was tense, they got hourly reports from their adult sons, and photographs by email.

In their case, and the case of 65 neighbors homes, hopes were dashed and all was lost. We saw our friends trying to keep an upper lip, it seemed more like shock as they were extremely quiet. The fire had swept fast at an estimated 4000 degree temperature. All in its path were destroyed. Our friends lost everything. A safe with a silver money collection was melted. Electricity went out and their son couldn't open the garage door fast enough to get his car out. Emergency people were demanding that he and his children hop in their vehicle before it was too late. They barely escaped as the fire came roaring up the gully into their home.

As in the title of this post it was two years and two days ago. Most of the homes have been rebuilt.The many juniper trees surrounding the homes were burnt, and most of them removed by chain saws of volunteers. Grass is coming back and lives are being rebuilt. The fire came from the view you see below.

 

It found its way at the bottom of this gully (Photo below)

In minutes it was all over.

We attended church with our friends yesterday. All of the talks and lessons were about the fire. I was really emotionally touched. The messages were of both sadness and gratitude. That which was mentioned by all was their gratitude that no lives were lost. One of the speakers, a mother, felt prompted to leave a ladies meeting to head home, her children were home and unaware of the coming fire. As she headed back she saw the smoke and knew she had truly been prompted to return to her children by a saving power.

All spoke of gratitude for the many small and large acts of kindness, from food and clothing, to places to stay, and even insisting to do their laundry. Thousands of helping hands showed up, organized to help in the clean up process. 

One spoke of feeling an understanding now of what some of her ancestors suffered as their homes were destroyed and their lives shaken by mob actions in the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

People spoke of humility they gained, for appreciation of the important things. Sadness over losses weren't ignored but my take, what touched me most, was the goodness of the message I heard yesterday. I was truly humbled, felt gratitude for that which I have. I was grateful for the experience with our friends, they still have those mixed emotions, I am sure they will never lose them. 

By the way, one of the homes that burned had just let their insurance expire. How is that for a loss?