A Sad Day

Pictures taken by my dad

This morning while I was eating breakfast I got a phone call from my mom telling me she was standing outside, watching her church building burn down.

She and my dad were at stake conference in the Longfellow building in Cambridge MA when the fire alarm went off. They eventually evacuated the building and within minutes they watched as the roof went up in flames and the building burned.

According to the Boston Globe it took 22 engines, seven ladder companies, and about 80 firefighters to control the fire. My mom said that was a accurate number.

It is a sad day for many in the area because the 60 year old building was the first in the area and holds lots of memories for the members.

Later tonight my dad shared with me a very special story about the fire. A few hours after the fire my dad was back to check on what was going on and to help if needed. While there, two fire fighters came out of the part of the building that had the most damage, carrying to framed pieces of art. The fighter fighters didn't know where to put the art, so my dad offered to take them and get them to the right place. As he took them he noticed that after being in a building that just burned down and had water sprayed on it for several hours, the art was spotless. There was absolutely no ash or water on them. He eventually took the pictures to a Quaker church across the street that was storing things retrieved from the fire and there were several other pieces of art rescued from the fire that were in perfect condition also. For my dad this was a special moment, to know that the art work that hangs in our ward buildings is so important and a testimony of the things we believe in.

Here is a link to more pictures of the fire: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/gallery/05_17_09_cambridge_church_fire/