Fireballs! Exploding gas tanks (without Raines attached to them, alas)

[vilakins]

Since I posted about the burning bus, here's the other fire last week, the day I picked up Ashley. This one took out a huge hardware store a couple of suburbs away from me. A shopper smelled smoke and told the staff to get out; everyone escaped including the staff member in the toilets at the time, which was lucky as all the gas tanks they had for sale then started exploding--yes, there really were fireballs. They think it was arson. I'm posting because I happened to find a great set of images here.

The first is my favourite, but I especially admire numbers 6, 7, and 10, which shows a fireman against roiling smoke--and a pohuhukawa tree in full bloom.

Comments

[vandonovan.livejournal.com]

Wow, impressive pictures! What a fire. Ironic that probably the only thing to survive at the two dumpsters full of refuse in the front!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I wonder who set it. Perhaps a fired employee? They tend to lay people off just before Christmas here.

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

It was sad about that fire - I had visited that store not too long ago and there was a lot of lovely outdoor furniture. :(

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about all the stuff that was destroyed too. :-(

[kalinda001.livejournal.com]

First a burning bus and now a huge store? Makes it sound like you're living in a dangerous area. Great pics.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Maybe the bus was arson too! I'm pretty safe (unless the police helicopter crashes on the house; there aren't any businesses around here, and I hope the burning buses stop elsewhere.

They were great pics!

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Awesome. The fire is something but I confess i am fascinated with that pohuhukawa tree - the name is extra exotic for me and the tree in blossom is wonderful. Plus the smoke.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Here are two pictures of pohutukawas I have taken. Blossoming ones mean summer to me (and that's one in my icon too, from one of my drawings).

In Mission Bay (http://www.farsight.net.nz/images/pohutukawa.JPG)
At St Heliers (http://www.farsight.net.nz/images/stheliers.JPG)

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Aaaaa...this is really an exotic beauty! I bet Vila likes it too, it looks a little extraterrestrial, and definitely very exotic. Ah, and the beach, mmmmmm, I wish I could be there NOW!
Thank you!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Those beaches are quite close to where I live. :-)

The flower in this icon in a pohutukawa. They're a very common Christmas image here because they're red, in bloom now, and native. I love them.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

Amazing photos. That was a tremendously hot fire, I doubt they'll be able to salvage even any metal girders.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was a bad one. I'm just glad no one was hurt.

[nautile26.livejournal.com]

Good grief, how frightening. There are houses quite close by too. The pohuhukawa tree is certainly very striking against all that dark smoke.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It is! And they're been in bloom for a few weeks now which means a long, hot summer. :-)