What's it like to live next to a major fire?

Mrs. Loomis came to tell these 4^th graders about her experience.	Mrs. George Loomis, who lives at 234 Spring Street, came in to a 4th grade Social Studies on Friday, March 22 to tell the students of her experience the morning of the fire that destroyed the 200 block of State Street. Her property backs up to the parking lot behind Johnson's Auction Barn where the fire is believed to have started. She recounted how she was roused early that morning by fire trucks going right by her house and STOPPING! After watching the activities for about two hours, with fire companies continually playing water on the house and garage to keep them from catching fire as well, the Loomis’s were asked to evacuate their home in the interests of their safety.
On March 2, 2002, the fire broke out at 6:00 a.m. My great grandparents, George and Joyce Loomis, live out behind Stefano’s pizzeria on Spring Street. My great grand parents called my grandparents at 6:30 to tell them what was happening. The fire started by a boiler on a heating system. The boiler overheated which caused the fire to begin. The fire started near the old auction barn and ended eight businesses away at Clemens’s Plumbing and Heating. Several fire departments were called to duty to fight the blaze. The Great Bend Fire Department were on duty to spray water on my great grandmother’s house to prevent the blaze from spreading to their home. This prevented the walls from overheating and smoke from entering the house. They were evacuated from their home at 8:30 a.m. and were not able to return until 3:00 p.m. Upon their return, there was no water or smoke damage. The date will go down in history as one of Carthage’s most tragic events, however, no lives were lost, like the Carthage Fire of 1884. Ellyse Ellyse and her great grandmother are pictured on the right.
	Mrs. Loomis came to our class. She lives right across the street from the fire in a green house. Mrs. Loomis said that to her the fire was very sad because the buildings had been there her whole life. She said that three cars were crushed when the buildings collapsed. Two of them belonged to Albie Noyes. I asked Mrs. Loomis if she really thought Albie was the hero of the fire. She said that she’s known Albie for a lot of years. “He’s a nice man, so yes, I think he did help a lot of people.” It used to be dark on Spring Street, but since the buildings are gone, the sun is not blocked and it is very bright now. She said the sun shines right in her windows and she has to dust a lot now. Spring Street was a lot darker before. If I were her, I would be glad that my house was sunnier. I wouldn’t be glad about having to dust all the time, though.
Mrs. Loomis was told she had to leave her house the day the fire was burning. I don’t know why, maybe in case the fire went wild and burnt more houses like the Great Fire of Carthage in 1884. She only took her purse because she felt confident and knew she would enter her house again. So she didn’t take any other prized possessions. She drove her car and parked and watched the fire for the rest of the day. Her daughters brought all sorts of food and drinks. She said to her daughters that she could have just gone to a store and bought all the – then she just said thanks.	Somebody in my class asked her if she thinks they are going to rebuild the burnt stores and restaurants. She said, “Probably, but I bet not as high and they just won’t be the same, either.” Carthage won’t ever be the same, actually. I enjoyed it when Mrs. Loomis came to our class. I love studying local history! Bethany H.