The smoke had worked its way into the tractor cab, making it harder for Jeff to see. His cell phone buzzed and he grabbed it.
“I don’t know if we can keep this fire out of your yard.” It was Brian Miller. “My son’s got the Pro-Till over there. There’s flames right behind him.”
Jeff bit his lip. What could he say? Jeff was plowing a fireguard through the middle of his field to keep the fire from moving further south, and at least three other farmers were working to save the Hansons’ farmyard.
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“You’re sure nobody’s home?” Brian asked.
“Yep,” Jeff said. “Elaine’s clearing out the pets and the kids are at school.”
“Okay.” Brian hung up without saying goodbye.
Through the smoke, Jeff spotted another tractor coming toward him — plowing a strip parallel to the one he was working on. Maybe this guard would be wide enough to keep the flames back. It was too smoky to get a good view of the cab of the other tractor, but Jeff could see it was Glenda Simpson. Glenda’s farm was at least 10 miles away. Jeff wondered how she’d showed up so fast.
[RELATED] Hanson Acres: Fire threatens the farm
His phone rang again. His mother.
“Hi,” Jeff answered as he turned the tractor in the tightest 180 he could and started another strip. He spotted a fox, darting in front of the tractor tire.
“Hello Jeff,” his mother Donna was saying. “Elaine’s not answering her phone, but I don’t have time to send a text. We’re at Costco and your dad’s in line already.”
The flames were getting too close to the tractor. This wasn’t safe. What was he thinking, trying to work on the same side as the flames? Jeff crossed the already-plowed strip and started plowing on the other side, a little further downwind.
Donna was still talking. “Should I get you some?” Jeff heard her ask.
“Sorry. What?”
“I said, those chicken strips the kids like are a good price today. Do you want some? And there’s a pink snowsuit here that would fit Jenny perfectly.”
Jeff could see the RM water truck further downwind of the fire. What were they doing?
“I don’t know Mom. Look, I gotta go. The canola stubble’s on fire.”
“What?”
“I’m not sure if we can keep it away from the yard, but we’ve got lots of people trying,” Jeff said.
“The yard?” Donna asked. Now she sounded panicked. “Is everyone alright?”
“Yeah, we’re fine, Mom, but I can’t talk right now. I’ll get in an accident.”
“Be careful,” Donna said. “We’ll be home as soon as we can.” Before his mom cut the connection Jeff heard her shouting. “Dale, leave the cart. We have to get home.”
Seconds later Jeff’s phone buzzed again.
“It might jump the road to the southwest.” It was Rick Benz, head of the volunteer fire department.
Jeff groaned. Never mind his yard. If this fire got to the oil and gas battery site, they could have some kind of explosion on their hands. Jeff had no idea how much natural gas and oil the company was storing on its lease site.
“The RM’s got their water truck down there soaking the ditch,” Rick said. “Okay if we take a tank of water from your dugout so we can help them out?”
“Yeah, sure,” Jeff said.
Jeff kept plowing. Hoping he wouldn’t run into Glenda’s tractor in the smoke. Still wondering how much damage this smoke was doing to the tractor.
Back in the yard, Elaine had finished stuffing the tamest of the shop cats into cat carriers when their neighbour, Tara Hunter, drove up next to her. Tara jumped out of her car to help Elaine load the cat-filled carriers into Elaine’s SUV.
“That’s the last one,” Elaine said. “The rest of these cats are going to have to fend for themselves.”
“Cats are smart. They’ll figure it out,” Tara said. “Now what?”
Small flecks of light grey ash were floating into the yard, landing on their clothes. Elaine could see the flames, not far from the row of trees that ringed the yard.
“I think there’s time to get some things from the house.”
Inside, Elaine ran through the porch and stopped in her dining room. What should she save?
Her purse was on a chair. Her wallet would be in there. Good. If they couldn’t come home they’d need cash.
It was getting cooler outside. They’d need jackets.
While Elaine rooted through the closet to find coats for everyone, Tara gathered an armful of framed photos from the sideboard in the dining room.
“I’ll take these out to my car,” Tara said.
Elaine was frantic. “What else should I save?” She looked around the living room. She couldn’t save Jeff’s grandma’s piano. Those quilts Elaine’s aunt had made were somewhere in the basement. But how long would it take to find them?
Tara came back in and saw Elaine hesitating. “Maybe grab some financial papers? Or maybe the kids will need something? Give me those coats. I’ll take them outside.”
Glad to have direction, Elaine found her daughter’s favourite stuffies and her son’s hockey bag. Then she stopped in her office to grab a handful of folders from the filing cabinet. Good thing her electronic files were all in the cloud.
Tara came back again. “What else?”
Elaine stood in the hallway, looking around.
“It’s all replaceable,” she finally said. “I guess we’d better get out.”
Out in the field, Jeff finished another strip of fireguard. His phone buzzed again. Brian Miller
“Fire’s still going strong to the south,” Brian said. “It got right up to your trees … it’s missed your yard.”
Jeff hadn’t realized how tense he’d been until he heard this news.
“The fire department guys think that guard you just worked up is gonna hold. I’m sending my kid down to work up a strip around the battery site, just in case. I think it’s almost under control.”
“Great,” Jeff said. “I’ll go take a look.”
“Elaine’s not going to like it. I think the volunteer driving that fire truck drove straight through her garden to get to your dugout.”
Jeff laughed. How could that matter?
Soon, Jeff was part of a group of farmers and volunteer firefighters gathered at the edge of the Hansons’ yard, trying to decide if they needed more guards, in case a spark flared up before the wind died down.
Elaine and Tara came to the yard too. Elaine opened the back of her SUV to let the two dogs out. She was still freeing cats from the cages when Dale and Donna sped into the yard.
“Your yard almost went up in smoke,” Brian called to them as they got out of their SUV.
As Elaine and his parents came toward him, Jeff realized he was shaking. Would they have rebuilt everything if the shop and the house had burned down? With no stubble to cover the field behind the yard, would dirt start to blow? How would he level out all the fireguards in the field before spring seeding? How could he ever thank the neighbours enough for helping out?
“We’re okay,” Jeff said. “We’re okay.”
A note from Leeann Minogue: This is based on real events at our farm this fall. Thanks to the neighbours for saving our yard and the Stoughton volunteer fire department, who did NOT actually drive through the garden.
