In my neighborhood there were Christmas lights decorating every house, Christmas carolers singing every weekend, and fires burning in every chimney. This was a sign of Christmas. But not far away there was another neighborhood where there weren’t any Christmas lights, there weren’t any Christmas carolers, and there weren’t any fires in the chimneys. Unfortunately, however, because people were trying to stay warm, there were fires elsewhere in the houses.

Most of the families in this neighborhood were single parent families with several children in the home. The families found it easier to use kerosene heaters to minimize the heating costs during the winter month

As I climbed out, I was greeted by a dozen unaware firefighters standing in the street, but I was still not sure my partner got out. Thirty seconds later, he also got out- both of us, on our own. I spent two weeks in the burn unit with 16% of my body sustaining second and third-degree burns. My partner spent one week there with second and third-degree buns on 10% of his body.

“Pontia Station I, you have a structure fire at 49485 AuLac

I never did get home that night, but I saved that family. I also prevented other families from losing their homes that night too. They’re very happy in that neighborhood because they have eachother. They don’t need the Christmas lights, the Christmas carolers, or the fires in their chimneys. In fact, they would rather do without any fires at all.

Some topics in this essay:
East Bay, Christmas Eve, christmas carolers, christmas lights, slow motion, kerosene heaters, fires chimneys, weren’t christmas,