The Great Virginia City Highlands Bonfire
Few things in this world are more democratic than a house fire. It does not inquire whether a man votes wisely, pays his taxes promptly, or waves cheerfully at the neighbors.
It arrives without invitation, helps itself to the furniture, and leaves the homeowner holding little more than a collection of insurance forms and unpleasant memories. Such was the entertainment provided one afternoon in Virginia City Highlands, where a respectable multi-story residence attempted to become a bonfire with all the enthusiasm of a politician spending someone else's money.
The alarm sounded shortly before four o'clock, and within moments every fire department that could hear a siren, or owns one, came charging over the hills. Storey County Fire Protection District led the parade, soon joined by Truckee Meadows, Central Lyon, Reno, Carson City, and enough engines to suggest the fire had declared war on the entire state of Nevada.
It was a fine reminder that while government agencies frequently disagree about nearly everything else, they become astonishingly cooperative whenever something is actively trying to burn to the ground.
The flames had already climbed the building with determination, and before any respectable argument with the fire could begin, firefighters discovered a soul stranded on the third floor. Ordinary citizens generally avoid climbing into burning buildings, preferring to admire such spectacles from a safe distance while offering unsolicited advice.
Firefighters, however, suffer from an unfortunate habit of running toward danger. They hauled the trapped occupant to safety first and only afterward turned their attention to convincing the fire that it had overstayed its welcome.
The blaze, being stubborn but not especially intelligent, eventually surrendered its forward march beneath a determined assault of water, sweat, and enough coordinated effort to make one wonder why civilization cannot function this efficiently during budget meetings. Crews remained behind for the tedious business known as overhaul, which is the polite expression for searching every smoldering corner until the fire finally admits defeat instead of pretending to be dead before making another nuisance of itself.
The affair was not entirely without casualties. Two civilians were treated for burns and smoke inhalation, while one firefighter earned a minor injury in the process of protecting strangers and their property.
Fire has never shown much appreciation for courage, though history generally does a better job of keeping score than flames ever could. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation, which is official language meaning everyone was trying very hard to discover precisely how such expensive excitement managed to begin in the first place.
Meanwhile, the roadway disappeared behind barricades while engines, hoses, and determined public servants occupied every available inch of pavement. Motorists, deprived of their customary route, displayed the traditional impatience reserved for any inconvenience lasting longer than a traffic light.
Yet after several hours the barricades came down, the road reopened, and civilization resumed its ordinary business as though the mountain had merely paused for a brief interruption. When the smoke finally settled, the county thanked every responding agency for its swift work, and rightly so.
The public was thanked for its patience, one of those virtues government always praises after asking citizens to practice it. The firefighters departed with tired muscles, soot-blackened gear, and another story to add to a profession built upon days when everyone else hopes somebody else will answer the call.
Thus concluded another chapter in the curious history's endless argument with fire. The flames had made their case with heat and destruction; the firefighters replied with courage, discipline, and an impressive quantity of water.
In the end, civilization won the debate once again, a result that deserves applause, though one suspects the fire is already somewhere else preparing its next speech.
