Vaplon saves his home from fire
California fires ravages San Diego County, but man stayed
Weather reports said he had one day to prepare.
Frank Vaplon had enough to move his valuables to some sort of protection. When everyone else was evacuated, Vaplon decided to ride out he fire and save his property.
“If you think of the fires of hell, you know what I went through.” he said.
He had time to completely close his house up. Vaplon used plywood to cover the windows and the stucco exterior and tile roof would take a lot to burn. But nothing can withstand the intensity of a firestorm without water, Vaplon said.
Vaplon stepped out of his home in southern California at 9 a.m. last Monday into a firestorm. This North Dakota transplant thought he was ready. He had on all the professional firefighting gear he had and his fire hoses were connected to the hydrant he put in near his house. The generator was going non-stop to power the well and his 10,000,000 gallon water tank was full. No amount of pre-planning can prepare a person for the heat, high winds and pressure of a firestorm.
The wind was blowing at 60 mph before the firestorm rolled over him. Fire literally rained everywhere as the wind increased to well over 100 mph. Vaplon said he could hardly keep his feet underneath. His water hose could normally shoot a spray up to 60 feet away, but the high winds pushed back the gushing water to a too foot spray. The temperature during the firestorm rose to more than 160 degrees. Vaplon literally know what it feels like to be inside an oven.
The only thing which saved him was the water he was using to fight the fires. Although it came back to him like a scalding shower; it kept him from being consumed by the towering blasé.
“It felt like one or two hours in the firestorm, but it was actually only a minute or two.” He said.
The firestorm roared away and Vaplon got down to the true nature of fighting a fire. The cinders carried by the wind can literally find any small opening. He put out the fires which continued to spring up under his rafters.
He has gone through two major California fires before, so experience told him what needed to be done. The last fire burned up the parts for his dad’s early Model T. Nothing could replace the parts, especially his memories attached to his father, the late Conrad Vaplon of Lidgerwood.
He has two antique cars from his father and grandfather. He told his sister, Virginia Goerger of Wyndmere, he was going to save them.
Vaplon, 66, grew up in rural Lidgerwood. He credits his Midwestern heritage with giving him the fortitude to stay and fight. He grew up in an era where people had to fix their own machinery and construct their own outbuildings. When a blizzard hits, farmers go out, dig out their cattle and go on with their day.
North Dakotas are used to fighting through blizzards, he said. Well in southern California, residents are used to fires. Because he came from a state where you take care of your own, Vaplon didn’t leave his property when everyone else was told to leave. He literally hid behind a pile of wood when the sheriff’s department came out to each of the rural properties in the San Diego County he lives in.
“Occupants, occupants, this is an emergency evacuation.” They said.
Vaplon hid behind a pile of wood to protect all he holds dear. Although he stayed behind, he did have an escape route planned. He moved all his vehicles into a location which wouldn’t burn. The fire can’t burn dirt, nor would it be able to consume the succulent plants along his perimeter. The green grass would also have a hard time burning, he said.
Knowing this, he knew what to do if the fire became too much. His efforts saved his home and his immediate neighbor’s residence. He kept up a steady stream of water to keep both homes free of fire.
Almost three days after his ordeal, Vaplon was home in the valley, near Poway, Calif. His power was still off, and the phone lines crackled from the many homes lost to the blaze. It was a lonely feeling for Vaplon, living in a valley deserted by the evacuees. As horrific as the fire was thought, the valley only lost about half of its homes.
Fire can be fickle on what it consumes. In the seven fires raging through southern California, 674 square miles burned from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border and at least 1,600 home were destroyed.
One home in the path of one of the worst fires in California history was saved because of the valiant efforts of its owner. Even if it happens again, he said he’ll stay.