Winter Cherry Blossoms
That's what they were wryly called, in Japan. They were so common, winter house fires. Hardly surprising in a country whose housing was so fragile, wood and rice-paper. Which went up so often into glorious winter-time blazes. The Japanese celebrate nature, and they're inordinately fond of anything natural.
What could be more natural than fire, one of the elements of this Earth and our habitation as well. In the spring much ceremony of welcome and delight is expended on the appearance of cherry blossoms. Real cherry blossoms, not winter-time fires. When families spread blankets out under cherry trees in blossom, and enjoy picnics.
Still, it's surprising, in a country like Canada, to note the prevalence of fires during the winter months. Heating season, for one thing. But more than that, too, since people tend sometimes to be lax when it comes to their own safety and that of others around them. Forgetfulness leaves cooking pots on stoves over high lights. Cooking with oil, and overlooking the need to carefully monitor it, particularly over high heat. Fire occurs.
As it does when people smoke incessantly, forgetting to take precautions with cigarette butts. As, for example, someone nodding off to sleep, cigarette in hand, while in bed, or dozing on a sofa, and then all hell breaks out. One supposes it's a wonder that more fires don't occur, to wreak true upheaval in peoples' lives. At least we're forewarned, with working fire alarms. To make good our exists.
And so often these fires take place in multiple dwellings, resulting sometimes in one or two apartments being burned out. The residents suddenly made homeless. And on a recent occasion in downtown Ottawa, in the Glebe area, an 18-apartment building was entirely devastated, and all those families bereft of their home.
Why, one must wonder also, do people neglect the necessity of taking out household insurance, for many of those affected did not have insurance. One of the residents, a young woman who had lived in her apartment for four years, mentioned a recent spate of false alarms. Which may explain why many residents drifted back to their apartments after having been roused by the alert building caretaker.
She also spoke of the irony of having just taken a shower, and settled down in front of the television set, viewing scenes from the devastating earthquake that had shattered Haiti. Feeling immensely sympathetic for the plight of the Haitians, the survivors, their anguish, the wounded, and the vast numbers of homeless people. "...and then I heard the alarm", she said. Doing her part to rouse her neighbours, particularly those who had returned.
The bad news is that so many families face the plight of homelessness during the winter, temporary though it may be. The trauma of losing all one's possessions can be dreadful. For the young woman who hadn't had time to think, and react, the thought of her three cats left on their own in her apartment. The good news is there were no other casualties.
What could be more natural than fire, one of the elements of this Earth and our habitation as well. In the spring much ceremony of welcome and delight is expended on the appearance of cherry blossoms. Real cherry blossoms, not winter-time fires. When families spread blankets out under cherry trees in blossom, and enjoy picnics.
Still, it's surprising, in a country like Canada, to note the prevalence of fires during the winter months. Heating season, for one thing. But more than that, too, since people tend sometimes to be lax when it comes to their own safety and that of others around them. Forgetfulness leaves cooking pots on stoves over high lights. Cooking with oil, and overlooking the need to carefully monitor it, particularly over high heat. Fire occurs.
As it does when people smoke incessantly, forgetting to take precautions with cigarette butts. As, for example, someone nodding off to sleep, cigarette in hand, while in bed, or dozing on a sofa, and then all hell breaks out. One supposes it's a wonder that more fires don't occur, to wreak true upheaval in peoples' lives. At least we're forewarned, with working fire alarms. To make good our exists.
And so often these fires take place in multiple dwellings, resulting sometimes in one or two apartments being burned out. The residents suddenly made homeless. And on a recent occasion in downtown Ottawa, in the Glebe area, an 18-apartment building was entirely devastated, and all those families bereft of their home.
Why, one must wonder also, do people neglect the necessity of taking out household insurance, for many of those affected did not have insurance. One of the residents, a young woman who had lived in her apartment for four years, mentioned a recent spate of false alarms. Which may explain why many residents drifted back to their apartments after having been roused by the alert building caretaker.
She also spoke of the irony of having just taken a shower, and settled down in front of the television set, viewing scenes from the devastating earthquake that had shattered Haiti. Feeling immensely sympathetic for the plight of the Haitians, the survivors, their anguish, the wounded, and the vast numbers of homeless people. "...and then I heard the alarm", she said. Doing her part to rouse her neighbours, particularly those who had returned.
The bad news is that so many families face the plight of homelessness during the winter, temporary though it may be. The trauma of losing all one's possessions can be dreadful. For the young woman who hadn't had time to think, and react, the thought of her three cats left on their own in her apartment. The good news is there were no other casualties.
Labels: Environment, Ottawa, Realities
posted by Pieface @ 5:43 PM
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