Please send your prayers...
I guess this wildfire thing is catching. There is currently a large forest fire burning about 6 miles away from where my grandparents live in the BWCA (Boundary Water Canoe Area) of MN. The area was hit by a major storm in 1999 that blew down a considerable amount of tinder, making this area very suceptible to dangerous fires. Right now the fire is on the other end of the lake fromt hem, but has been island hopping. So far they are not in immediate danger, but if the weinds change to the north, they could be. They have not evacuated, and at the moment do not plan to. Please, please pray for their saftey and for the wisdom to leave if they need to. They did not leave the last time a large forest fire was burning out there... I'm really worried. Karen |
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I pray for your grandparents' safety, and the wisdom to know when to leave.  |
| They are in my thoughts. How scary! |
| Karen, are they mobile and able to get themselves out? If the order to evacuate comes they may have a hard time getting out if they are going to require assistance.
Maybe have them contact the local EMA or county dispatch and see what resources are available to them. Also, make sure the local or county dispatch is aware of them and know what specific help or services they may require. ie, wheelchair accesible vehicle, etc. Tell them to make sure they have at least 3 days worth of their medications too. Always better to be prepared than not! In the meantime we'll all be praying that they don't need it! |
| They are perfectly mobile and completely stubborn. They can evacuate, and while all of us would prefer they leave now, while their main road (The Gunflint Trail) remains safe and open from the fires, the likelyhood of them doing so is slim. Last time this happened, a giant fireball went right over their house... They do have a fire saftey watering system active on their property right now... not sure how much safety that affords them.
They are having daily community meetings with the dnr and the fire fighters as to how everything is proceeding. Right now the firefighters can't access the area by ground so they are only proceeding by air with water dumps. The DNR is hoping the fire will move into a pre-proscribed burn area so they will have access to fight the flames on the ground. Knowing my grandparents, they are putting some of the DNR guys or firefighters up at their home... The governor is sending National Guard up to help. My biggest hope is that one of my uncles will be able to convince them to leave, as they don't listen to the rest of us when it comes to stuff like this. My Grandpa especially is very stubborn about staying up there. Nobody can tell him anything.  |
| Thoughts and prayers to all of the people in CA being affected by the terrible fires.. |
| Well at least if they are putting up some of the fire guys at their house and something happens they will carry them out kicking and screaming if they have to! |
| Hi Karen,
I'm sending good thoughts your way too. How awful for the people in the area as my heart goes out to them. Marianne and the boys |
| Kar, good thoughts and prayers are being sent your way....have you spoken with them recently?
Just a question, why wont they leave? |
Oh Karen - I know exactly what you are talking about. With older people they often don't want to get out of the way when trouble comes.  My father won't leave for huricanes - even though there is always a good chance that our property would flood long before the hurricane hit land.
My father wouldn't even get into the closet with my brother and I when there was a tornado rolling through town and we could HEAR it! 
I hope your parents will be safe during this time and I hope they'll seek shelter before it gets too bad.  |
| Prayers definitely being sent! |
| I haven't spoken with them myself, my dad JUST spoke with them this morning. I'll try to get a hold of them to see how they are this evening, but all my uncles and aunts are calling like crazy. If it was just my grandma, she probably would have left already but my grandpa has the "We're not leaving until the G** D*** thing is burning down" attitude. Any one seen the movie Ice Age 2? The older armadillo that doesn't want to leave the family burrow even though the whole area is about to be flooded... that is my grandpa!
That area is very sparsely populated, the nearest actual town is an hour away, only 1 road leading in and out. One of the local outfitters that is located close to them is running a blog, so I'm checking that out... it is nice to hear it from the locals point of view, rather then just the official story. |
| I hope the fire doesn't reach them.
I know how scary it is! |
I remember there being something similar on Dante's Peak - that volcano movie. The old lady stayed on the stupid hill the volcano was erupting from or something like that and her grandchildren and daughter had to save her.  Some people are like that - they don't want to leave because it's their home.
In the mean-time their relatives who are sane get to worry about them.
P.S. I just realized I said "parents" instead of "gradparents" on my first post - oops!  |
| You could always use that method. Because they are staying they are putting their "rescuers" in danger. Maybe if they think they are doing it for someone else it will change their tune.
You could always use the "I want my children to get to meet you!" line too. Hit 'em hard if you have to!!! |
| Well,
the fire has now burned more then 13 thousand acres of forest. Things are looking a little more hopeful this morning, as the winds pushing the fire have died down, and the burn is headed towards the areas which had been prescribed burned, so they're hoping to get things under control now... As far as evacuations, the fire has not yet entered into the evac "trigger" areas... and as long as it doesn't do that, they will not call for mandatory evacuations. A mandatory evac is pretty much the only way my grandparents would leave
My heart is really torn up over this... I'm worried about my grandparents saftey and health (Breathing in all that smoke can't be good for them) I'm devastated by the destruction that has already occured... so many beautiful trees, rare native plants and endangered animal habitat destroyed. I have so many wonderful memories of this area. Nature has its ways of rebuilding but it will be many many decades before the forest returns to its former glory. The pictures of the fire have such a terrible beauty to them... If anyone is interested in seeing the area, and hearing more about th e fire from the locals, here is a link to a blog from the outfitters that are located about 5 or 6 miles down the gunflint trail from my grandparents. They have some pics of the fire too. http://www.boundarywatersblog.com/ |
| Is it faith that our grandfather is standing on, rather than being stubborn?
Is it fear of what will happen to them if they leave and have nothing to come back to, and no where else to go? Will using comments like "do it for your grandchildren" work, if we never take the grandchildren around to see them before these things happen? Many, not all, seniors are lonely in their old age. We look at them from the outside in, through eyes much younger than theirs. Many have families that don't call or visit often. Once a week may be all the time we have, and they understand that, but it still doesn't fill their need. Their home is all they feel they have left that belongs to them. And, they're determined not to let anyone or anything take from them. They feel that if they loose that, that they will have nothing. And, a lot of them won't. They don't want to become a burden on family, and some, don't feel that their family really cares anyway. And, then there's pride.
They watched their children leave home when they became adults, they long for the grandchildren that never come around, their friends are dying off, they know they're times coming, and as you age, death isn't as fearsome as it is when you're younger. They're not doing it to hurt anyone, they're doing what they "feel" they must do, even if our feelings disagree with theirs. jmop
I pray everyone is safe! (My opinion is in general, and is in no way meant specifically for "your" grandparents.) |
| I pray for rain, so heartbreaking anyone caught in a bush fire. We have over the years learnt to live in a volitile fire proned enviroment with good saftey and fires plans in action in our warmer months. It is part of the Australian Enviroment, bush fires. Amazing how the bush here regenerates after a fire.
Sending prayers your Grandparents will be safe and also sending wishes that they have a good evacuation plan in action if the need is there for them to get out. Hoping the fires will eventually die out or it will rain, so frightening for all in the path of fire so I feel for you Karen at this awful time with the stress of worrying about your grandparents. Fatalities in Australia are always a result of people hesitating or reluctant to go. Stay safe for all those in the path of the fires and don't leave any decision too long to get out while roads etc are still useable. |
Well I have some good news finally. My grandparents have a Dr appointment tomorrow in the cities, so they are FORCED to come down here today.   The sheriff told my grandfather that if there were mandatory evacs, that he would HAVE to leave this time, even if that meant the sheriff had to come and drag my grandpa out himself. Luckily that won't have to happen now.
They are not planning on returning up north until Monday... I'm not sure if the forest service will have the fire under control by then or not, but at least for the time being, they are out of harms way  I know it is horrible, but I'm hoping that they decide to close the road up there to all incoming traffic until the fire is safely put out. I'd rather they were down here where it is safe then trying to get back up there when the fire could move anywhere. Not to mention that breathing in all that wood smoke all the time is NOT good for their health...
I can guarantee you this entire week my grandpa will be sitting in town worrying about the house and wanting to get back up there. He is like that even when there is nothing going on up there, much more so when there is an issue.
At least they are safe. I am seeing them on Friday for my cousin's bridal shower. You can bet I'm giving them big hugs and letting them know how happy and releived I am that they are out of harm's way. and hoping that they remain so. |
| Well that's good. It sounds a lot better after you said they would leave if there was a manditory evac. Some older folks still don't after that.
If I were the sherif I would drag them out of their house too.  It's not fair for people to stay behind in their houses and make others risk their lives trying to save them because they are being stuborn and don't want to leave.
Have you and your other family members mentioned putting them up at your place? Maybe they just don't want to stay at a hotel. |
One thing about my grandparents THEY NEVER stay at a hotel when they are in town!!! My mom is the eldest of 6 children, total they have 13 grandchildren ranging in age from 27 to 3. They always stay with one of their kids, even when they SHOULD probably stay at some place a little quieter. They like ( ? get suckered into ???) babysitting the younger grandchildren although physically it is very demanding for them esp with my grandpas heart condition. No matter how many times she asks they NEVER stay with my mom.... We've never figured out what is up with that exactly. It used to really hurt her feelings but she's gotten over it. You can't change them so you love them as they are  |
Iriskmj wrote: .........They like ( ? get suckered into ???) babysitting the younger grandchildren although physically it is very demanding for them esp with my grandpas heart condition. No matter how many times she asks they NEVER stay with my mom....
Glad to hear they are safe!!! Getting "suckered" into babysitting has advantages. They spend time with the grandbabies without mom and dad around interferring. They feel like a necessity rather than an intrusion, and with the mom and dad gone, the house is "theirs". Little ones don't judge or bug them by complaining about what and how grandpa and grandma lives their lives, like their adult children would...... 
Has your mom every asked why they won't stay with her? The answers we get may still hurt our feelings, but we hurt ourselves more by not asking. We build hills into mountains that a small question could easily knock down. |
| Please continue to send your prayers and positive thoughts for my grandparents, especially for their emotional wellbeing now that they are out of the dnager zone, and for the safety of their property. The fire line is about 3 miles from their home right now.
http://www.boreal.org/fireinfo/Cavity_L ... llery.html the above is a link to some absolutley amazing pictures of the fire. It is so odd to look at them... I know these places, it is as if I am looking at pictures of my dear friends. It is so terrible and so horribly beautiful at the same time. And very overwhelming. |
| Those are some serious photos. |
| Wow. Those photos are amazing. It's one thing to talk about a fire being huge and devastating, but another thing entirely to see it. I for one am glad your grandparents have an appointment so they have to leave! |
| Wow, that has to be frightening! Definitely still sending them prayers and good thoughts! |
| Fires are devastating. Coming from MT, I've lived through the fear of evacuation. It is very scary - those pictures really say it all. Your grandparents are in my prayers! |
| Glad your family is safe. They are in my thoughts. Such a beautiful area to suffer such devastation. |
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