Wildfire (Behind The Camera Book 2) by Maggie McIntyre

Author:Maggie McIntyre [McIntyre, Maggie]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2020-10-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

8 am, Sunday

Coping Through the Catastrophe

They reached the blockage less than three miles out of town, through a smoke-filled blackened forest, with the mournful stumps of once majestic pine trees marking their route. The fire chief and police chief of the small Crompton Falls community were standing together, somber figures dressed in high-visibility jackets and hard hats. Both of the men’s faces were black with smoke and soot from the fires.

Kat immediately kicked into professional mode and thought of the cinematic power of catching the two community leaders in this moment of physical crisis, but her mind quickly turned to the implications for Cat and her family. She could see the extent of the intense burn in the fuel laden woods, and was convinced no-one could have survived. She shuddered when she imagined them finding the Sinclairs’ skeletons in their truck.

They jumped out of the vehicle, and muttered thanks to the two cops who had fetched them, and then ran across to the officers in charge of the tree removal.

“Hi, how’s it going?” Kat had to shout over the whine of three chain saws, as a group of fire-fighters worked to cut through a giant spruce which was almost a yard in diameter at its base, and well over fifty feet long. It had crashed right across the road, and even though it was heavily charred, it was still heavy and difficult to clear away.

“Not so good, Ms. Konrad, as you can see,” one of the fire-fighters replied. “We only have chain saws right now. The big depot with the diggers and heavy hydraulic equipment got torched. We have to share what we have with another community which got hit before we did.”

“Was that Thornton?” asked Cat, and he nodded.

Kat took a deep breath. Keep calm. Keep steady. Show support. Don’t undermine them with criticism, she silently instructed herself before saying out loud, “Well, we’re here to help all we can. Tell me exactly what you need, and I will try to make it happen. I have two news teams due to arrive in Crompton Falls by helicopters around mid-morning, and I can put one of them at your disposal for whatever is most urgent. I can also contact whatever state and national officials need to know about this.”

She paused and pulled out her IPhone. In her peripheral vision, she watched the two men exchanged glances. No doubt they were reassessing just how vital she could be to the community’s ability to get through this.

She glanced at them again, “Tell me what you need, and guys, I’d like to go on air with you now, so we can give an update on the situation. Do you have any more statistics yet, like confirmed dead or injured? How many properties have been destroyed? I know it is all bad news, but we have to communicate the severity of the fire. “

“It’s certainly the worst I’ve encountered in my 30 year career with the fire department,” said the fire chief.”

“Right, let’s start with you while Chief Patterson thinks through what his top needs are.

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