Fire!
I was walking down the street yesterday afternoon, minding my own business, when something exciting happened. Exciting things rarely happen in Fort Bragg, so this was a cause for note. What was even more notable was that I just happened to have my camera, so I could take pictures of said exciting event.
The event was a fire at the Welcome Inn, an establishment which could charitably be called “a local bar.” There wasn’t actually a fire that I would see, and no obvious damage had taken place outside, but the fire department was sure riled up, blocking off the streets and busting out the big toys.
Trucks were stationed at Main Street to keep people from going up Redwood:
The hydrant was leaking a lot:
So much for the water restrictions, I guess. Water was pooling up all the way down to Main Street.
Spectators gathered in fascinated interest:
The Advocate photographer was right behind me when I took this. We gave each other a nod of mutual respect before moving on with our respective shots.
Fire trucks were also stationed in the lot behind the Welcome Inn, for a two-pronged approach, I presume:
Eventually, it was time to take off the heavy fire gear and pack up shop:
It’s a lucky thing the fire didn’t spread too far, because it was very windy yesterday. If the fire department and Cal Fire hadn’t been on it or the flames had spread fast, it could have taken out most of the 100 block of Redwood, which includes another bar (the Golden West) and the original Lee’s Chinese restaurant.
Tags: fort bragg, photography
From our vantage point, at Mendo Bistro, we were able to see the black smoke rising from the roof. The wind whisked it away before it could develop into a cloud or column. I saw the fire department pull up. They worked quickly trying to locate the source of the smoke.
Apparently, word on the street says, the cause was from someone stubbing out their cigarette on the wall. I guess the wind was strong enough to build the embers into a full blown fire.
Yikes, more motivation to refrain from smoking!