Next
Story Back Table of ContentsPhoto Album Original Front Page
"Thank God, most of us who are reading this issue of the Time have
not experienced the stark terror of a forest fire as did our neighboring
residents of Dance Township.
Although we sympathize with these anguished settlers, from the bottom of
our hearts, many of us just cannot realize the stark tragedy that faced
this brave group of settlers."
In an effort to picture for our readers some of the experiences and happenings
on that fateful day, ironically the Thanksgiving Festival, we present quotations
gained in interviews with several members of the stricken families.
Little Arlene Gunderson, age 5, of Dance, a bright, blue-eyed tot, in her
version of the fire story was more concerned about "Tiny," a little
fox terrier which she clutched for hours as she lay face down in a field
awaiting rescue. "I wasn't going to let my dog get burned. I just hung
right tight to her," she told a Times reporter. Meanwhile the puppy
was frolicking around the hotel room, seemingly aware of the protection
in received from it's youthful mistress.
Gayle, 11 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Gunderson of Dance, was
just brimful of news. She told how the family of four children had lain
in the hay field while fires raged around them. "Were we ever scared,"
she exclaimed. "We were the nearest neighbours of Noah LaBelle's. Everyday
we went to school with those kids, and now some of our best chums are gone."
With eight children, the eldest 17, Mrs. Peter Venn will never forget the
terrifying experience. The rangers had been stationed nearby their home.
Their provisions were all burned and they came to the Venn home for food.
"We shared what we had," stated Mrs. Venn. "It wasn't much
though during that frightful day. At three a.m., they ordered us out."
With a sick baby in her arms, accompanied by seven young children, Mrs.
Venn left her home during the early morning hours for Fort Frances and safety.
"At the back of our house, at midnight, the flames were just sweeping
across the sky," stated Mrs. Fred Barrill. "The sky was like daylight,
with flames shooting seemingly miles high." With the Cogger and Snow
families, they sought refuge at the formers home. From three o'clock in
the afternoon until 3 a.m. Tuesday they sat in a tiny clearing, hardly daring
to move. Bread and a jar of fruit was the only food for twelve persons.
Mrs. David Cogger, at whose home the Snow and Barrill families gathered
while their husbands battled the terrific flames, said she had no idea they
would be rescued by the forest rangers. For hours, with the other, she waited,
watching the blazing timber fall near their home. "I can not tell you
our feeling when the forestry branch trucks arrived for us. We were certain
we were all 'goners'," she said.
Another settler, Mrs. Joe Cogger, stated "I didn't want to leave my
house. I wanted to stay and help my man and my two boys fight for our home."
She told of how her husband's and son's feet were so badly burned and blistered
they could hardy walk.
"It was like a hail storm," quoted Mrs. Clyde Kimbell. "The
wind came with a whizzing sound. I shall never forget."
To Raymond Cogger, 14, an extremely bright boy, the memory of the terrifying
experience will likely remain forever imprinted on his mind. Unlike many
of the smaller children, he realized the gravity of the situation. Describing
the commencement of the blaze, he said, "The wind came up in an instant;
trees bent to the ground, and within a few minutes the whole place was burning.
That's how quick it came. In the balsam trees, as fire struck, it sounded
like grease in a frying pan."
Mrs. Isabelle Nesbitt, perhaps suffered more property loss than any other
family in the area. With her husband and her family of two girls, she had
been saving up to for years to build a new home. Finally the dream was realized
a few weeks ago. Up went the fine new logs for their building. Her father,
Fred Barrill, was completing the carpentry work. The clearing where the
new log home stood Monday is nothing but smoldering ashes today. In the
house were all Mr. Barrills carpenter tools. He made an effort to dash through
the flaming wood to save what he could, but was forced back by the intense
heat. The building and all new contents which the Nesbitt family had been
acquiring were lost.
Other words of children of the refugee families were: "Boy, it was
hot. Mother made us lie down and cover our heads with wet clothes. We nearly
smothered. We were so scared though, we did exactly what they told us."
Mother, Daddy and everyone that could turned in and fought fires. Water
seemed to dry before it ever reached the flames. Some of us were so thirsty
but we didn't dare bother asking for a drink." Fire was so close to
some of us, we could feel out legs and arms scorching."
Many of the women describing their dash to freedom through the stricken
area early Tuesday morning stated the flames and smoke practically engulfed
them. "Under the wheels of the trucks, the road even seemed to be burning,"
they related. "Most of the children were so good, hardly a peep out
of them. Of course some were so little they couldn't what was the trouble."
"Our poor husbands and boys must be nearly dead. We haven't seen them
since Monday morning, but we hear they are all right. Some of them haven't
had a nights sleep for weeks."
Next
Story Back Table of Contents