By James H. Hyde

The quiet of today’s icy morning was smashed by the wail of a siren that closed fast and stopped suddenly close by. In northern Vermont, sirens are as scarce as hens’ teeth.

Awakened with a start, the wails of a second and third popped my wife and I out of bed. A fourth and fifth arrived, both groaning to a stop not a hundred yards away. We went from window to window in search of the cause.

Opening the back door, we were both forced back by an enormous, cloud of swirling black smoke hovering over us like a summer thunderhead. As we traced it to its origin, we could see enormous flames through the trees. They were big enough to give one the illusion of a forest fire heading right for us.

Small explosions followed and drove us back inside again. The fire had found the owner/hunter’s ammunition stash. But they were drowned out by a sickening, thunderous crash as the roof surrendered to gravity.  Famished, the flames consumed the entire house within minutes.

As firemen doused hot spots, there was a sudden flurry of activity as the men scrambled back to all but one truck, and the sirens began to scream again as the trucks u-turned away from the smoldering ruins.

A half hour later, I got a call from my wife, who told me she had been diverted from Route 100 in Morrisville on her way to work. She said it looked as if people were being evacuated and fire trucks from Morrisville and neighboring towns were parked all over, but there was no fire.

A call to her employer to advise him she’d be late yielded the cause. A gas leak had been detected in a Chinese restaurant. A customer had told him that people living in houses or working in businesses nearby were being hastily evacuated in a scene pregnant with frightening anticipation. By the grace of God, no explosions have been heard, but the panicky sensations we’d tucked deeply away after 9/11 rushed back with a vengeance until we discovered the cause of all the commotion.

I’ll report the status of the gas leak once I know it. But until then, I can convey that area hens are starting to grow teeth.

To discover more events and getaways check out New England Times web site and New England getaways by clicking here.

Related posts:

1. Golden Road Bike Tour in the Maine North Woods