Little miracles happen around us every day, from the birth of a healthy child to braking at just the right time to avoid an automobile accident to what happened on Feb. 17 in Hiwassee Dam, when a mobile home was destroyed by fire – everything, that is, except for the family’s Bible.
The cover was severely charred, but all the words of Scripture – along with photos and other mementos tucked inside the good book by the Graham family – was unscathed. And, even more importantly, no one was hurt.
Another little miracle also took place then, as 51 volunteer firefighters and 19 pieces of fire apparatus responded to the rural scene from throughout western Cherokee County and eastern Tennessee. The American Red Cross was also on hand to help.
While the home could not be saved, it’s amazing to see that many people come out to lend a hand fighting a hot blaze on a Saturday afternoon. The kind of people who serve with our volunteer fire departments are the backbone of our communities, compassionate and hard-working folks who we’ve witnessed literally giving someone else the shirt off of their back.
If you’re one of these kind of people, your time and skills are needed. Even if you can’t handle a fire hose, there are plenty of other duties you could help with at your local fire station. To learn more, email Chad McNabb, chief of the Hiwassee Dam Volunteer Fire Department, at chief@hiwasseedamfire.com, and he’ll direct you to the right place.
Special thanks to everyone who helps protect our loved ones and possessions as a firefighter, and at a fraction of what it would cost to maintain full-time departments without volunteers. You help make our county a better place.
– Publisher David Brown