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MY WORD - 4/30/2008
(by Holly Stewart - OpEd Columnist - April 30, 2008)
Fire on the mountain
There is a slumbering subterranean fire in nature which never goes out, and which no cold can chill.
–Henry David Thoreau
Someone is setting Upper Greenwood Lake on fire.
Since late February, four unoccupied dwellings in the western section of Hewitt have been torched in the early morning hours by a person or persons unknown. West Milford Fire Commissioner Ed Steines is confident that these fires are related. He has been quoted as saying “whoever did this knew what they were doing” after the blaze at 343 Lakeshore Drive. A fifth incident that occurred earlier in the winter at 83 Lakeshore was linked to the more recent fires initially, but it has since been removed from the list of those fires deemed suspicious.
Fire, whether man-made or otherwise, is not uncommon in the area. Many people heat their homes with woodstoves but fail to maintain their chimneys properly. A space heater left on while the resident is out has resulted in serious property damage several times in the eight years I’ve lived up here.
Nature plays her part, too, by contributing forest fires to the equation. Lightning or a cigarette carelessly tossed out a car window can ignite an inferno when the ground is dry. Needless to say, our volunteer firefighters have their hands full year-round without having to worry about a pyromaniac in the neighborhood.
Even more than the canine companion, fire is mankind’s oldest friend. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with it. We are warmed and comforted by it but retain a healthy respect for the danger it poses when left to its own devices. It is the environment’s great oxymoron, for even as it destroys everything in its path, it is also remarkably cleansing. Whenever we work or play with an open flame, we must remain aware of the fine line between using and losing control of it. The firebug has no interest in such a distinction; he (or she) burns things in order to bask in the chaos of control utterly lost. Like a passionate lover, a fire set free satisfies his twisted sense of desire.
I’ve been asking folks around here what they think about our resident arsonist. My neighbor Tom, as always, got right to the point by saying, “I’d like to punch that guy in the face.” You can’t blame him for feeling threatened or wanting to protect his property. I’d probably react the same way if I caught someone pouring gasoline on anything I own. Another local who’s lived here almost 30 years suspects an inside job, perhaps by a young fireman with a hero complex or something to prove.
I hope I’m wrong about this, but I have also considered that possibility. Maybe I’m just jaded from having watched too many episodes of CSI. One dreads the very idea that someone poised to assist the community might actually be harming it, but this phenomenon does exist. Like police officers who abuse their power and nurses who pull the plug on their patients, there will always be a few people in public service with a warped sense of duty. In professional situations they are unlikely to last long unless they are very good liars. In the volunteer realm, however, catching a good-bad Samaritan in the act has proven to be much more difficult.
Regardless who is responsible for these crimes, let’s hope they are caught before any more fire sirens wake me up at 5 a.m. on Sunday morning. I’m certain the UGL fire company would concur with that statement. Let’s all keep our eyes and ears sharp for anyone or anything unusual in the area, especially if there’s a vacant or seasonally-visited home nearby. Don’t hesitate to call the hotline West Milford has set up for this express reason if you have any information: 973-728-2802.
Above all, remember your local volunteer fire company when planning your charitable giving for the year. Without financial support from the community, they will be unable to adequately protect us when we need them most.
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