Returning yesterday from the coast of the northern sea, I hoped to have time to make a post with footage of my walk, but something interfered with my plans. Driving through the outskirts of the city, I noticed an unnatural glow in the old quarter.
Arriving at the place, I saw a blazing two-story house, and a brigade of police with firefighters nearby. They said that the fire started half an hour ago, there is no one in the building, but they still can't start extinguishing, it's too far from communications with water.
In addition, this is too old house, built after the war, there is no point in saving, such houses burn out like dry straw.
So there was nothing they could or want do, only wait for the fire to finish its work. I was allowed to stay and observe, and even take some pictures, explaining at what distance I should stay so as not to get hurt.
Wherever there are people, there is fire, it is our constant companion. We treat him like a pet that was tamed many thousands of years ago, like a dog or a cow, but this is not so…
This is not the fire we are used to. Not a fire in your fireplace, controlled, so cozy and obedient, which you feed with your hands, restraining his temper and not allowing to grow.
It's not even a semi-wild fire that you give life to somewhere in nature, driving it into a cage out of a circle of stones to use its power for a while.
This fire is unbridled, gluttonous and impetuous as the most dangerous predator.
I've seen several fires, and each time I'm terrified of how fast they happen. It seems to you that you control this entity, but he is always looking for a loophole- a wiring closure, a carelessly thrown cigarette butt, any spark on a combustible material, which he adores.
And when this beast breaks free, everything happens very quickly. Jumping from surface to surface, he finds that he can burn even where you thought it was impossible. He can't get enough, at the same time, it seems as if he is teasing his victim, sometimes almost fading and shrinking to a small hearth, making you think that it's over, he suddenly grows with renewed vigor, continuing his meal.
The wind will not stop him, it will only give strength, as if breathing a second life into him. Water also doesn’t always cope with his violent nature, he learned to deceive, sometimes even using water for his own purposes, drawing oxygen from it in a mixture of chemicals.
How much time was spent by people to create this building? 500 hours, 1000, maybe even 2000 hours, how many years has it been standing here? It doesn't matter, the fire destroyed it in just 1.5 hours.
Leaving only a stove with a chimney, what is meant to control and use fire, as a reminder, how ironic and mocking. Maybe it even gave birth to a monster that it could not cope with this time and it devoured this place.
One has only to turn away for a moment, lose vigilance, forget how dangerous and strong this beast is, and all he will leave behind is just sparks flying in the wind...
