Fire

Prompt: Write 3 drabbles related to one another, and yet each able to stand on their own.

Australian Summer
The little country town of Rocky Hills was shimmering under the blazing sun. The fields were dry, the dams empty. The few cows and sheep which remained after major destocking were waiting for the farmer to bring them hay.
Months of drought had nearly brought the farming community to its knees. They prayed for rain and more than that, prayed there wouldn’t be yet another devastating bush fire.
A meeting has been called at the pub to discuss actions which must be undertaken to avoid Rocky Hills being obliterated off the map. The town and surrounding bush were tinder dry.

The Meeting
The Parkerville Tavern was packed with many of the townsfolk who’d come for a community meeting to discuss the drought and fire risk to the area.
Mort, the chief fire officer, presided over the meeting. He was pleased to see a good turnout. “I’d like to thank you all for coming tonight. As part of Rocky Hills Volunteer Fire Brigade, I must emphasise the need to keep vigilant. One spark from a fool using an angle grinder on a total fire ban day, or a bigger fool throwing a cigarette out of a car window, our town will become history.

Fire
“The bush fire which swept through the rural town of Rocky Hills is thought to have been deliberately lit, according to the arson squad.” The newsreader continued, “The number of homes lost is not yet known, but it’s feared the majority have either been totally distroyed or damaged. “
Footage of the destruction, taken from one of the water bombers, is broadcast. The blackened earth, and tin roofs lay melted like sheets of satin over the burnt houses.

A few weeks later the weekend newspaper headlines read: Rocky Hills Bushfire Volunteer accused of being the firebug which destroyed a community.