It was skill that saved the day

The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

That was certainly the case early Wednesday morning when East Fork firefighters responded to a structure fire at the top of Fifth Street in Genoa.

Firefighters were faced with a difficult situation. The structure was engulfed in flame, embers the size of dollar bills were drifting up into the forest and the adjoining home, the only thing that was missing was the wind. That was the good news.

Quick thinking preserved a home that was a stone's throw from a burning, exploding building, and kept the fire from spreading up the mountain side where thousands of acres of dry timber were a disaster looking for a spark.

Fortunately, our firefighters are prepared for just such an incident and were protecting the home and running up a 50-degree slope hauling fire hoses to put the forest out.

When the battle was over, the rental and everything in it was destroyed, but the property owner's home survived and the forest was a little blackened but no one was hurt.

They had the opportunity to stop the fire and the preparation to follow through. That's lucky for all of us.

We congratulate the men and women of the East Fork Fire & Paramedic Districts for their excellent response and a job well done.