Neighbours on their knees in prayer, winds that suddenly switched directions saving other homes and aiding firefighters' efforts and the victim declaring, "God said, 'Clean it up.'" These were the sights and sounds on Hall Road July 22 as a late night fire destroyed Linda Nichol's home, said a resident.
Nichol, an admitted pack rat, said she saw the irony in the fire and the opportunity it posed for her to get rid of some things."You can laugh or you can cry," she said, "I prefer to laugh. Talk about a way to get rid of clutter. A yard sale would have been less costly but more work."
A candle that ignited curtains in the home was the cause of the fire. Nichol had let her insurance coverage lapse, leaving her with nothing. Where one might think anger or resentment would crop up among neighbours who now have to dip into their own insurance to pay for fire and smoke damage to their property, like Julie and John Davis, it just isn't there. "What are you going to do?" Julie said shrugging her shoulders. "Linda is such a high spirit and always has a smile on her face. We're just glad everyone is OK."
Right after the fire, neighbour Cathy Bullen contacted Coast Reporter about that night's heroics and the team effort of all those who live on Hall Road. The community spirit is still rolling.
Scott Gemmell is donating the use of an excavator, and last weekend several neighbours gathered to help clean up debris by hand. The final remnants will be trucked away by others donating their time and vehicles. Donations also include clothing, a travel trailer to live in and storage space for the donated furniture and other items for Nichol until her new home is built. A benefit dance and silent auction are tentatively planned for Sept. 6. "When you see eight or nine people with work clothes on, putting in a full day, nobody's angry. Everybody is concerned about her," Bullen said. On Aug. 30, the street will once again be full of neighbours running around, but this time it will be to say thank you to the men and women who neighbours said were incredible in their efforts to contain the fire and keep it from destroying more homes and the forest around them.
"We can't say enough about the volunteer firefighters," Bullen said. Nichol is not focused on stuff these days.
"I have found treasures that were either stored in a station wagon or in the outer storage sheds, but the greatest treasure I have found is in my friends and neighbours, and strangers that are well on their way to being friends," she said. "It's only stuff. What brought tears to my eyes were the hugs and caring all around me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
