The First and Last Fire

3:50 a.m. June 27, 2008

Rick Sampson was awaken by a sound that he had heard many of times before, his pager for the volunteer fire department. “Attention Point Jones Fire Department structure fire at 145 Vista Avenue.” Rick jumped out of bed and though on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts and ran out of the house. It was only a two minute drive to the fire station but it seemed like it took forever to get there. Rick pulled into the dark parking lot of the station; he was usually the first one there. He unlocked the door and hit the button to open up bay 1. He started the engine and the headed over to start putting his gear on. By this time other firefighters started flowing into the stations like moths to a light. Within five minutes of the page going off Engine 1 pulled out with four firefighters on board, Chief Walters, Captain Summers , Rick , and the new probie Dustin. The other engine rolled out of the station a minute behind them.

4:03 a.m.
“Engine 1 to dispatch, Engine 1 on scene, two story brick structure composition roof, smoke showing out of second story windows. Chief 1 will have command.”
Rick jumped out and began to pull the hose off of the truck while Dusty continued to put his air pack on. Rick, being a veteran firefighter could don a pack in less than a minute. Rick got the hose lied out and went to check on Dusty to make sure his pack and gear was on correctly before the entered the house. As they entered the house the house the smoke was noticeable but not to bad. “Just another fire.” Rick thought to himself as he and Dusty were making their way up the stairs to the second story.

4:08 a.m.
Rick and Dusty made it to the door that they believe the fire was behind. “Inerter Ops. to command charge the line.” Rick said as he held the radio to his mask. The water started to fill the line and Rick opened the line to bleed the water out of the hose. Rick felt of the door and it was very hot to the touch. Rick turned around and looked at Dusty and said, “Ready for the real thing probie.” Dusty shook his head not really for sure what to expect. Rick in one sold motion swung the door open. Smoke poured out of the door like it had been kept locked up for years.

4:11 a.m.
The room was hot much hotter than any fire rick had ever been in, the smoke was thick as a spring fog and was black as night. Rick and Dusty could not see each other even though they were just feet from each other. “Stay with me and don’t let go of my foot.” Rick instructed Dusty as they started into the room. In the distance Rick could see a red glow, the fire it was big, it looked far away even though it was a mere twenty feet from them. They kept moving forward though the intense heat until there it was, big beautiful as it claimed up the wall and across the ceiling. Rick shot a quick stream of water at the ceiling trying to use the steam from the water to cool the fire down. It didn’t work the fire was to hot. He tried once again but there was not change in the fire. Then Rick noticed something happening that he had hoped that he would never see. The fire had fingers stretching out though the smoke which only meant one thing, the fire was about to flash. Rick knew that once the fire got hot enough the smoke and the room would become supper heated and erupt in flames. He knew that he only had a second maybe two to save both of their lives. Rick through himself back on top of Dusty and turned his nozzle on to a fog and opened it up as far as it would go. As soon as he did they both saw the brightest flash of red and white that either of them had ever seen.

4:18 a.m.
“Inerter Ops. to command, mayday mayday firefighter down. The room has flashed repeat the room has flashed, firefighter down. Mayday mayday.” This was a voice that no one had ever heard before come across the radio, it was Dusty. Rick was hurt and hurt bad. Something has fallen and landed on his arm and had him pinned. When what ever had fallen it had also knocked the house out of his had and was whipping around the room and had hit Rick in the head knocking him out. Dusty was pinned underneath Rick and was having trouble breathing. The explosion had blown out all of the windows in the room letting some of the heat out but was also letting in fresh oxygen making the fire bigger and more intense.

4:26 a.m.
“Rescue crew to command we have found the down firefighters attempting rescue now.” Dusty could feel the other firefighters but was to weak to help them. All of a sudden Dusty felt a weight lifted off of his chest and was able to crawl out of the room and make it down the stairs. When he made it out side he took off his mask and gasp for fresh air. The paramedics were waiting on him to check him out. After a few minutes of oxygen he felt a lot better they wanted to take him to the hospital but he refused.

4:38 a.m.
As Dusty set in the back of the ambulance he looked out and saw the two firefighters who came to rescue him carrying out Rick. He had never seen the look on their face in person but he knew what it was, Rick had lost his life trying to save him and Dusty. Dusty sank his head into his hand and wondered how that happened. Rick an eighteen year veteran of the fire department, even though it was volunteer, he still understood firefighting and knew how to do it, and did it well. Now he was dead and the probie that had never ever seen a real fire was alive.

6:45 a.m.
The fire was out and the crews were rolling hose and putting up tools, but there was a difference this time. There was no joking, no high fiving, no laughter. There was only the sound of the fire truck running and foot steps. As the last things were loaded up on the trucks the crews headed back to the station. On the way back Dusty looked over to the set next to him were Rick had sat just a few hours before. As they arrived at the station Dusty took off his gear and walked to the chiefs office were he was working on the report on the events at the fire. With out saying a word Dusty walked up to his desk and placed his pager on the desk and walked out not saying a word.




June 27, 2009
It had been one year since the fire that almost took his life if it wasn’t for a brave firefighter who saved his life by giving up his own. Dusty drove to the only cemetery in the small town. He slowly walked up to Rick’s grave and just stood there for a while wondering what would of happened if it wouldn’t of been for Rick’s quick thinking on that early morning fire. He was about to leave when he heard a sound that brought him back to the at day every time he heard it, sirens, he turned back around and look at the grave wondering if he could ever go back and become a firefighter again. He stared at the grave hopping that the answer would just appear. The answer was no, not because he was scared but he would never do it again because he would only have trust in one man, the one who saved is life.



Bryan Sprinkle