It's Maddening!

I suppose if the saying "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" has any merit, then this post will have the basic facts and I will try to keep all the mean things I really want to say silenced.

The adjacent property owners (calling them neighbors would be too generous) burned their ditches. 

 Then left. 

 Without making sure their fire was out.

 And before too long, our pond was on fire.

 It is kind of hard from the pictures to see how much of an area actually burned, but it was significant. I would estimate it to be almost the size of a football field.

 Boyd was doing some field work nearby and noticed the smoke and flames were beyond where the ditches were located.

 He got off the tractor and up to the house, got the 4-wheeler which happened to have the spray tank on it, got it filled with water and after two trips for water, managed to stop the fire from spreading up the hill to my animals.

 In hindsight, maybe he should have called the fire department and had them respond.
The next three photos are the few he took while trying to extinguish the fire.

 Although we didn't choose to have the pond burn, Boyd was less focused on putting it out as he was on preventing it from burning a nearby shelter and going up the hillside.

 All of the stuff in the foreground of this picture below ultimately burned.  Basically the whole bowl of the pond burned.  The road on the south was a fire break and luckily, Boyd had kept the weeds down on the north side, so there was less to worry about.

Here's Buddy helping.  :) Too little, too late.

 Even more maddening is that there was still flames on the adjacent property HOURS after the initial fire.  I called the property owners early afternoon to let them know what was happening.  They were apologetic on the phone, but even though I told them to drive to our place and see how much burned, they did not show.  I told them it took my husband two hours to put out their fire, but I guess they don't care.  No visit. NO NOTHING!

 Boyd called the Sheriff's office to file a complaint.  He was transferred to what I suppose was the Fire Marshall's office where he left a message.  Someone did call back and get his information, but that was it.  No one from their office came to see the damage.  I don't know if the property owners even got a burn permit before they started.

So desolate now!

 Ironically, just the day before, this same property owner saw my husband at the Co-op and wanted to buy a portion of our farm.

 We aren't selling. 

 So, they try to burn us out???

 I am certain it wasn't really intentional, just absolutely irresponsible.

 And just plain maddening!