Page 5 - aruba today

A5
U.S. NEWS Tuesday 25 sepTember 2018

With hose and sprinkler, Wyoming man defies fire evacuation

By MEAD GRUVER With the flames bearing
Associated Press down Sunday afternoon,
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A Winney said he stood out-
man who saw an immense side with his garden hose to
wildfire raging his way said put out any embers that fell
he was prepared for the on his home. None did, he
worst — and glad he de- said.
fied evacuation orders so "It went by within about 10
he could defend his home minutes. It was pretty in-
with just a sprinkler and gar- tense," Winney said. "But
den hose. the other side of it is I had
Bill Winney doubts his log all that stuff wet and clear."
home with a metal roof The smoke made him
would have survived had cough, and his house
he not aggressively wa- smelled like smoke, he
tered the area around it said, but that was the worst
for several days and then problem he had. He had no
stood his ground as flames electricity but several days'
tore through the surround- worth of fuel for his genera-
ing sagebrush Sunday. tor and more than enough
"It was pretty nasty, and food see him through, he
then once it blew by, it said.
was, 'OK, let's walk around Winney planned to re-
and make sure everything's main at home, figuring he
OK,' " Winney told The As- wouldn't be allowed to re-
sociated Press by phone turn if he left. Some other
Monday. homes within sight of his in
Most firefighters would say the large-acreage devel-
Winney's decision is a good opment had burned, he
example of what not to said.
do when a wildfire is ap- Winney's wife, Louise,
proaching. Better to get wasn't around but working
out rather than risk your life a part-time job at Old Faith-
in an attempt to protect ful in Yellowstone National
property, fire information Park.
officer Susan Garner said. Though their house didn't
"We're hoping people will burn, she didn't approve.
evacuate when they're In this Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, photo provided by Bill Winney, flames approach his home near "She was not really im-
told to do so, just for safety's Bondurant, Wyo. pressed. But she knows. She
sake," Garner said. Associated Press knows what kind of person I
As of Monday, authorities am," Winney said.q
had evacuated about 300 pine forest and sagebrush but sagebrush and stands times, but he knew the well
homes in the Bondurant meadows. of aspen, which he doubt- would recharge within an
area. At least three homes Residents of Hoback ed would burn readily. hour or two. He kept his
and possibly several more Ranches, Winney's subdi- Years ago, Winney said, he GMC Suburban SUV load-
had burned even before vision of widely spaced cleared away the sage- ed with belongings in case
winds caused the fire to mountain retreats, were brush closest to his home to he had to make a run for it.
flare again Monday after- supposed to leave Sept. create a space he could Winney never did, though
noon. 18. A retired nuclear sub- defend against a wildfire. by Sunday he knew he was
Firefighters expected the marine commander, Win- As the fire got ever closer in for a fiery confrontation.
fire to keep growing after ney stayed put figuring he over several days, he used "I was looking at the fore-
charring an estimated 75 stood a decent chance his sprinkler to water that cast winds and I said, 'You
square miles (194 square because his home wasn't area nonstop. know, this guy's coming my
kilometers) of mountainous surrounded by pine trees He ran his well dry several way,' " he said.