The Fire in the Park

We're staying at Cherry Hill RV Park in College Park, MD while we tour the Washington, D.C. area. We were getting ready to leave one morning when Ed saw black smoke rising from an area not far from our campsite. We walked over and this is what we saw:
The plume of back smoke began to carry pieces of the coach into the air and smoke filled the area. We stood there and watched the motorhome literally melt. It was shocking to watch. People camped on the road were able to report that there was no one inside the coach.

Then the fire trucks began to arrive. This a large park. The trucks converged from every direction.

They connected hoses from all sides and began to douse the fire.

We stood there with our mouths open and watched the whole thing. It took just a few minutes to put the fire out.

The black smoke stopped and the cloud turned white.

Just look at the crew that showed up. Remember that RVs carry propane tanks. They were taking no chances. We all heard the tank in the fire explode.

We got our first look at the damage as the grey smoke began to clear.

The drivers seat frame was still in place.

The fireflighters opened all the walls and then they broke the door on the coach in the next site to make sure no one was inside. There's a lot of heat damage on that RV, and it will be in repair for a long time. Parts of it had begun to melt.

The aftermath just about 30 minutes after it had started:

Here's the story. This older motorhome belonged to a family from New Zealand. They purchased it in California, spent 2 months driving it across the U.S. and sold it two days earlier. It was to be delivered to the new owners just 3 hours after the fire. They had started the engine to charge it up. The fire started at that point. They lost everything including their passports, clothing, computer, and cameras. The park management was very helpful to them.

We had met this family on the bus going to the Metro into D.C. They were very lovely people with two children who had emigrated to New Zealand from Israel. They are all healthy and safe.

How's that for a story about "My Vacation?"