House fire in Barga Vecchia doused by Lake Angels

  Lake Angels to the rescue this evening in Barga Vecchia. Workmen working on a house today had lit a fire in the fireplace to keep warm while they worked but embers from the fire dropped onto stored wood nearby and this evening neighbours were alerted to the blaze by the sound of crackling wood and the unmistakable smell of wood smoke. Although it was just a small fire it could have quite easily turned into some much more serious in minutes if not for the prompt intervention by members of the Lake Angels who luckily happened to be in the area. They quickly doused the flames with buckets of water and removed most of the still smouldering wood from the house.

The last major fire in Barga Vecchia was in January 2005 when one person died (article here) but thanks to the fact that the house was easily assessable to the three fire engines who answered the emergency call, the fire was limited and contained to the one building. That accessibility for the emergency services can not be guaranteed for the majority of houses in Barga Vecchia and so the hydrants and hose pipes dotted through the old city are very important in the fight against fire. These were installed some years ago and (luckily) have not been used since. Maybe now is the time to check on their condition?