Latest Project Fiasco!!! You all be careful!!

[Andy White]

Now for the rest of the story. After we presented the tables to Lynn and Pat, it was time for lunch. As usual, Pat really outdone herself. A really great meal, with all the fixins. The cake and ice cream dessert was the topper. I don't know why Lynn don't weigh 300#s eating like that!



 
Next came the load out. Marty and his youngest son came to lend a helping hand, and that was much help!!


  

  

  

  

 

Load out complete, and a good visit , then a good nite rest in the new bedroom addition. Really great work on the addition!  Next morning was breakfast and visiting. Ready to hit the road, and all is good. Stopped for lunch, then back on the road for the rest of the trip home. Fifteen miles from Leesville, home of Ft. Polk Army base, we ran thru a hard rain and lightening storm. Passed the storm, and looked out the rearview, and OH NO!!! FIRE!
Pulled to the shoulder and got out to check it out. The flames began to roll up between the whole load of logs!
Used my small fire extinguisher, and half case of bottled water. Nancy pulled the truck away from the trailer after I unhooked it. At this time, I looked up, and an emergency vehicle came thru the grassy median. The State Fire Marshal no less! This is where things got really hectic, and out of hand! I looked up and a whole platoon of Army reservists were spraying fire extinguishers, and throwing logs off the trailer. They had just left Ft. Polk for the trip back to their home base, after two week training. Now believe this or not!!! Their home base is in Brookhaven, Mississippi! If that sounds familiar, it is the home of The Magicman, Lynn Davis.



  

  

  

  

 

About now, the fire dept. shows up, and finished putting out flames, and applying foam to prevent reignition.
During the Army manovures, Two flaming logs roll down the embankment to the edge of a small pond. A young soldier went down to put them out, and a 4' alligator said NO You Don't!! The firemen sprayed it from a distance, and I gave the logs to him! All is secure now, and the Army has left, and we are waiting on a wrecker to come and load the logs up. Fire Marshall and Deputy said maybe lightening hit it. The fireman said he had only seen that two other times, and friction from the dry logs and the fine shreds of sapwood made great tinder. The deputy asked if I threw a cigar butt out the window, and I told him that nothing but smoke and old chewing gum goes out my windows!!  Showed him my ashtray!


 
The wrecker came, and loaded the logs. A really hair raising ordeal for sure!!


  

  

 
Next time when hauling dried logs, I will be stopping at a carwash to wet the logs . Maybe two or three times.
So to sum it up, All the stars were lined up for me to save this load of Cedar! A few minutes, or even seconds, could have had very different results, so you all BE CAREFULL !!!!     Andy

[sandsawmill14]

no good deed goes unpunished(old saying) >:(
i am glad that it all turned out well in the end 
at least you had a good first 1/2 of the trip and got a great story to tell for years and pics to prove it !!!  and its a good thing cause no one would believe it!!! :D :D :D
thanks for the pics!!!

[WmFritz]

Wow!!! That's quite a scare!

[drobertson]

Absolutely unbelievable! what a day, mercy sakes alive, never heard of such a thing, but one thing for certain, that cedar bark does make good, no great tinder, who would've thought about it happening on a trailer bed while hauling?   Glad to hear all is well in the end,

[nmericle53]

Am surprised I even got the pictures I did because my hands were so shaky. I remember hearing Lynn and Andy saying  if there are no pictures to document it it didn't happen! Sure is nice to know I pay attention. Such a wonderful trip to visit two of the most wonderful giving people. Lynn and Pat ya"ll are the BOMB! We even got to stay in the Waldorf Astoria/bed and breakfast, lunch and dinner. Wonderful food, friends and stories....some true... the rest? All I know is we have a heck of a story to tell and it is documented.

[Sixacresand]

Sorry about the fire.  Glad you all had a good visit with some good people, no one got hurt and lots of helping folks along the road. 

[Magicman]

 

 
Andy, Marty, & Luke loading ERC logs.


 
Plus, they gave the Logrites a workout. 


  
Loaded and time for a break.

And then to read that after giving Andy a trailer load of Cedar logs, he tried to have a Cedar Crispin.   

[Peter Drouin]

WOW.

[Bruno of NH]

Sorry wow x2
Jim/Bruno

[tree-farmer]

I know it gets hot down there, but dang!!  say_what

[Sixacresand]

Actually, My wife Nancy showed me photos of the fire on Nmericle53's Facebook page before I saw it on the Forum.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Proved me wrong, I guess you can cook with Cedar. 

[thecfarm]

Way too many loading,unloading,loading pictures for me.  That is too bad.
I have heard of a cigarette starting a fire in a back of a truck. One of my friends was helping someone move. Yep,fire in the back of his truck. He had the old style wood floor in the truck too. That caught on fire too.  : Nothing real bad,but it was charred.

[beenthere]

Was thinking it could have been a cigarette flipped by someone else too.
Been a lot worse if the muscle power hadn't shown up to toss them off. Likely saved the trailer floor this way, so you could load and get going again.

[scleigh]

I thought crazy things like that only happened to me???
Glad you made it home safely with the logs.

[ellmoe]

   I thought that the technique of burning lumber for appearance and preservative was done after the boards were sawn! I didn't know you could save a step. ;D
Mark

[pigman]

I am thinking that Lynn maybe sold you some "hot" logs. ;D

[Magicman]

   They were worth exactly what he paid for them.......nothing.   :D

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

I'm sure glad I have my reservations at the bed and breakfast on the Walnut weekend. I don't think I could handle a cedar crispin'

herb

[fat olde elf]

Magic Man has been trying to get rid of those cedars for a while !!! I have lots of fire stories but nothing to top this. Actually had one of my many PUs totally burn right in front of my house. Also been ticketed by the US Forest Service for "letting a fire escape". Proud to see the US Army come to help you. Another epic story on the Forum ! Thanks for sharing !   PER

[Magicman]

foe, I still have some and the offer still stands.

[tule peak timber]

Holy moley....

[timberlinetree]

That makes me appreciate all the boring days I have. Glad all is safe!

[coxy]

glad every one was safe    wait till you get the bill from the government for all there man power  :D

[Corley5]

DanG!  Just when you least expect it    Glad it turned out well