Corbett Fire Essay, Research Paper

October 6th was certainly a night to remember. I was on my way home from a friend s house. I hadn t traveled far when I came across my friend s truck on the side of the road. I parked my truck nest to his and got out to help. About thirty minute s later fire trucks and police cars began driving by, lights and sirens filling the night. Where they were headed no one knew, since my friend was a firefighter he wanted to find out. First we needed to fix his truck so we continued work on that. A few minutes would pass and then another fire truck would pass by, then another, and yet another. By now the curiosity was too much. We ditched his truck on the side of the road and headed to his house. When we got to his house he grabbed his pager and read the message Corbett School on fire .

We hopped back in my truck and headed towards the scene. My friend and I had both attended this school in grades 3 through 5. When we arrived the fire was still fairly small. It didn t take long before the fire grew. It was an amazing yet sad sight. Flames were shooting out of the roof, firefighters and police officers were scrambling everywhere yelling orders and trying to keep people away from the burning building.

By now it was about 12:30. The fire appeared to be getting out of control. Fire crews tried spraying foam on fire in a last-ditch effort to contain the fire. It was no use, by now the fire had engulfed most of the building and there was nothing the firefighters could do but try to contain the fire and keep it from spreading to nearby buildings.

Between one and two in the morning, the fire was at its peak. Fire lit up the night sky, drawing people from miles away, trying to see what was happening. Reports were saying smoke could be seen hundreds of miles away. People young and old had congregated at the scene, discussing memories of the time they spent in that building. By now most of the neighboring fire districts had left, knowing there was nothing else they could do. The remaining firefighters would stay and monitor the fire until it could burn itself out.

It was about 4:30 by now. My friend and I decided to head dome and get some rest; we would return early that morning to see the aftermath. We returned a few hours later. The scene was nothing short of a complete disaster. The building appeared to be a complete loss. The outer walls were the only things left standing, only because they were made of concrete, not wood. Some of the building was still smoldering, a few fire crews could be seen picking through the rubble and putting out the few remaining hot spots. A piece of Corbett s history and many childhood memories burned than night. Now all that is left of the school I attended as a young child is just the outer wall, blackened by that fateful fire. Now the real work begins, determining who or what started the fire that destroyed part of Corbett s history.