Had quite the scare this afternoon at my place. I had finished up riding my horses, had them tied up in the barn while I was cleaning stalls and they kept fidgeting and acting weird... I just figured they were anxious to get turned out to go roll like they always do after we work. I went to go dump my wheelbarrow and that's when I realized my neighbors back pasture that is directly behind my barn was ablaze and badly! It was moving in my direction with the wind... they had so much overgrown brush back there, it was a disaster waiting to happen... I haven't ever been so close to a fire like that ... I was shocked how quickly it got to my fence line and was about 5 ft from my barn within minutes! I ran and cut my horses loose they took off thru the pasture to the far end and I ran to get the tractor out of the barn to save it. I grabbed the water hose to try to help wet down my barn to keep it from catching fire and hosing the trees directly behind my barn as well . I wasnt making a dent in it.. the flames got so hot I had to bail... I couldn't breathe thru the smoke. I called 911 then my husband and my sister in law down the road. Soon as I heard the sirens the fire was just starting to catch the fence posts behind my barn on fire and some of the trees were lighting up. I was crying and just sure my barn was a goner... a firetruck came barreling down our driveway and got to my back fence and a man immediately jumped out and started spraying with his firehose... he got it under control just in time before it reached my barn... I wanted to hug him!! 4 other trucks were fighting it from the neighbors side .. it took them a few hours to get it out. So turns out our neighbors were burning a few days ago but hadn't made sure everything was out.. we are also under a burn ban so it was done illegally... they are in loads of trouble for this! Gosh I was so scared and panicking... I've never seen fire move so quickly and quietly before in my life.... I'm just so thankful to God that I was home and out in my barn ... neighbors weren't even home either ... I was on my own with my little water hose for about 15 minutes till the fire department arrived. The wind had shifted to the north just enough to keep it from getting completely over that fence line but it was darn sure too close for comfort.  My barn and hay smells like smoke, my hair and clothes reeked ... my chest hurts to take a deep breath but we are safe, my barn and horses and barn cats are safe! I snapped some pics after they had gotten it pretty much under control

I left my boys out in the pasture tonight... they were very leery to come back up towards the barn... they came to drink and would grab some hay and take off running back towards the other end... they were trying to tell me something wasn't right when I had them tied up :-(   I just dont know what would have happened had I not been home and there to get them out of the barn.. I dont even want to think about it! They were keeping their eyes on that burned up pasture and very snorty

Animals KNOW. . .

I'm so glad you were home and for those wonderful firefighters doing their jobs. . . It could have been catastrophic, but the good Lord had His hand on things.  Your boys are on guard duty for sure now!

The scary part is they knew and I was clueless! I didnt smell, hear or see anything until I went to empty my manure cart, I wasnt going to go dump it right then either I was going to start cleaning out water buckets but decided to just get the dumping over with. This fire was silent until it reached my fence line! Creepy!!! 

You were paying more attention to them than you realized--tuned in to them plus God leading you to dump poo first before water buckets!

Nothing scares me more than fire. There is a big pipeline that crosses my road at the other end. I live at the dead end. The pipeline company sends out info about leaks fairly frequently. We have blowouts occasionally and I worry about getting out. The only thing I can do is get a pair of wire cutters and start cutting fences and hope the horses follow. Glad every thing turned out ok. Make sir your barn is on your home owners insurance!!! Seriously

Very Scary! So glad you were there to see it and call for help.

Yes!! 100% yes on the insurance! I'm calling my agent today! Even though our barn is made out of metal and tin, my tackroom is wood... you dont realize how much money you have invested in your barn until you start picturing it all gone and having to start over! We have about 2k worth of hay stored on the far end, my smarty steer, the boys pitching machine and other items. My hubby told me to leave the tractor but I reminded him our big flatbed isnt insured so he told me to get the tractor and flatbed out of there! My LQ is parked in the front of my house so I knew for the most part it was safe.. we keep our pastures and fence line pretty cleaned up from overgrowth but we cant control the neighbors... the giant field behind us was freshly plowed by the farmer who owns it, that saved that side of our property... thankfully he keeps it up! 

Wow!! Glad everyone is ok!!! One of my biggest fears is a fire and not being able to evacuate or get away (why i own a big enough trailer for all my horses). Sad how stupid some people are, to burn when there is a burn ban and not make sure the fires completely out

Holy moly! That must've been scary! Glad things turned out right for you.

Terrifying!  I am glad you are OK but be careful with the lingering smoke inhalation.  How is Jacob?

So glad you and the critters are all ok! 

There are 3 big piles that are still smoldering over there. I'm watching like a hawk... you'd think the neighbors would be concerned with tending to their property but no... the owner of the property son is a real peice of work, let me tell ya! We had a family friend who happens to be a paramedic overhear on his radio yesterday that we were on fire so he rushed over to my place... while we were standing there talking we overheard on his radio the firemen talking and requesting the sheriff to come because the guy was apparently giving them a hard time... turns out he was burning tires in that pile which is illegal out here. We were also under a burn ban at the time and every time you burn you MUST call the chief and tell him... they didnt do that either so there is big trouble to be had for them. Some people are just so inconsiderate I swear...  

Jacob is doing amazing! Getting ready for baseball tryouts next week for spring ball. Thank you for asking! 

I know fire can spread quickly but I've never had to witness it up close and personal like I did yesterday! It was from the far end of their pasture to my back fence in a matter of minutes with all that dried brush and mesquite... the wind kept pushing it faster then it would change direction and start coming back towards me. I was freaking out! 

I had my pasture at my old house catch on fire on a very windy summer day. It's amazing how quick a fire spreads when everything is dry.

I agree, horses know and mine knew as well. So sorry you went through that! It's a scary thing to have happen. 

OMG ....... Happy that you are all safe and sound ......

Oh My!  How Scary!  We had a dumb neighbor a long time ago decide to burn on a windy day.  CRP and he left for town.   He burned his property (not house or anything), about 200 acres of CRP, the brush in the timber, AND the neighbors timber and pasture, AND part of our timber.  Talk about ****ed.  He showed up about the time the fire dept got everything out.  I don't know what sort of trouble he got into for that one, but he sure didn't make friends.  At least with this deal there was no danger to people or important stuff.  

Glad you and your property didn't fare too badly! 

That's so scary!!  Fire is one of my biggest fears - I'm so glad you and your animals are ok.