Page 15 of Five Alarm Love
Tuli’s gear was good, but fireproof material didn’t matter if the entire structure buried him alive.Waves of heat buffeted him like a scorching, clawing wind.
Gripping a charred coffee table with a gloved hand, he pulled and then pushed to lever himself into a standing position.He reached down and fisted the material over his right leg, yanking the leg forward.Staggering the last few steps to the entrance, he exited the house, even as nasty pops in the deteriorating ceiling urged him to move faster.
From the porch, he looked back.The entire ceiling came down with a loud moaning, roaring crack of flame and timber.Flames chased him.Too close.
He stumbled to the front rail and hung on for a few precious seconds, shaking out his leg.Faces appeared through the smoke, and Hunter turned the fire hose again, sweeping a wet steam across Tuli.
People were watching.Tuli gritted his teeth as he navigated the single step to ground level and then concentrated on slow, steady, non-limping progress across uneven dirt and gravel to reach the engine.His thigh burned and quivered beneath him.
Two sets of ambulance crews worked on the victims.One vehicle sped off, sirens blaring.
He spied Lou’s wide-eyed expression as she hovered near the open back door of a third ambulance.
“How are they?”he shouted.
Mav briefly lifted his head from the care he was providing and, with a neutral expression, waved a so-so sign.
Tuli’s work was done.He hid his hobble as he joined Hunter, who aimed the hose at the house.The pressure of a thousand gallons per minute was less than the flow through a typical city water line, but it still took muscle for one person to control the nozzle.
“I’m behind you,” Tuli said, bracing as he added his strength to Hunter’s.He couldn’t rely on his legs for stability, but his arms were plenty strong.Together, they battled the flames.
The second fire truck arrived with off-duty firefighters.Hey, everyone kept their duty phones on around here, just in case.Good timing, since Tuli’s truck had run out of water.Three thousand gallons in a pumper truck and no main water line out here meant that in rural Alaska, when the truck’s tank was empty, that was it.No more water.
He took off his respirator and lifted his visor, then directed the second team to hook up and keep dousing the fire.Their efforts finally knocked down the flames to the steaming, charred black remnants of what was once a home.
Their tank emptied in under five minutes as well.
Thankfully, they had extinguished most of the flames.Not much more to be done, other than ensure no secondary fires.
Hunter, his helmet now dangling from his right hand, rubbed at a smudge of ash over his cheek.“Looks like we got it.”
Tuli nodded.“Good job, everyone,” he said to the team.
Hunter opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but then clamped it shut.
The two additional firefighters stowed equipment, while Hunter headed out to check other property structures.
Tuli removed his helmet, laying it on the back of the truck.He turned toward the remaining two ambulances.
Man, he hoped everyone would be all right.At least he had done his part to get the victims out of the house.
Sort of.He rubbed his leg, which was somehow both irritated and numb.
Tonight, he had been lucky, not good.
Keeping a hand on the side of the truck while he walked the length of it, he concentrated on every step.Poker-hot nerve pain shot down his leg with each stride, but at least the leg held him.
Mav was treating the girl.Tuli racked his brain until he recalled her name.Anna.Around eight years of age.She coughed and moaned behind the oxygen mask, and the top of her hair was singed, but she otherwise seemed alert and responsive.Tuli would bet money that her grandfather had borne the brunt of heat, flame, and smoke exposure to protect her.
Natalie and Wayne hovered near their daughter, their worry for her suffering written starkly on their faces.Tuli’s heart clenched.What would it be to love a child that much?Swallowing against a hard lump, he pushed those thoughts away and focused on his job.
“Need any help?”he asked.As a firefighter, Tuli had basic medic skills and could assist with medical emergencies as part of his scope of work.
Mav shook his head, paused, and shot him a strange look.Then he said, “Thanks, man.We have it under control right now.You take it easy.”
As Tuli headed back to the truck, he stopped at Lou’s ambulance.Maybe he could find out what was going on with her lately.
“Hi, Lou.”
