HAMPTON, Va. –
Tech. Sgt. Michael Wade was relaxing outdoors in his back yard hot tub the evening of Dec. 7. The Christmas lights were hung. The decorations were all in place. He was having a good father-son talk with 13-year-old Justice Wade -- just "chilling out," as he puts it.
Then 16-year-old daughter Madison burst in.
"Dad, there's a fire out there!" she exclaimed. So much for the chat about young teenage love crushes the 1st Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Ground Equipment supervisor had been having with his son.
He stood up and looked over the fence, expecting to see a controlled, small fire. Instead he uttered "Oh my God!" when he saw the inferno. Jumping out of the hot tub he went around his fence and grabbed his neighbor's hose, turned it on and nothing happened.
While looking for a solution to get the well pump working, he asked Madison to bring him his phone. Wade then called his neighbor while looking for the pump's circuit breaker on the back porch. The flames were getting higher, and a group of four or five people gathered that he did not recognize.
In his neighborhood is Hampton's Kraft Elementary School. The property has a park, running track, ball fields and woods. The back yard of his home on Dafia Drive abuts the back of the woods.
Another neighbor helped him unfurl the hose and further frustrating him was the fact there was ice clogging it. "Justice, work this hose for me," he said as it was flung over the fence. On the other side of the fence he took the hose from his son and started spraying it side to side, putting his thumb over the end to make a "hilbilly nozzle."
Wearing only shorts he continued to drench the flames. Wary of the blowing wind, he was worried the embers would quickly spread since the dry twigs and leaves were efficient fuel for the flames. A billowing cloud of smoke caused some hacking and coughing but he continued firefighting. He estimates he got about three quarters of the fire extinguished and the Hampton fire department arrived.
Neighbors and hose owners Jane and Rob arrived at their home and saw how large an area had burned behind their home.
"I have the greatest neighbors in the world," said Wade. They have watched his house during deployments. This time it was they who were appreciative of their neighbor. Gone unchecked, homes could have been damaged.
The cause of the fire was apparent. Several large rings, 10 to 12 feet in diameter of burned ground, told the tale - arson. The wind kept blowing, and two hours later a rain storm swooped in extinguishing any possible smoldering trace of the crime.
According to Hampton assistant fire marshal Jesse Gomes, "The crime of arson is a chargeable offense, a felony." When called, he was on his way to one of the city schools to talk to students about this serious crime. Plus, the City of Hampton still has a burn ban in effect.
In speaking with Hampton firefighters, Wade learned there had been at least three purposely-set fires in Hampton.
"I think there could be an up and coming arsonist in our neighborhood, in the darkness, lurking, watching." He was sure the culprit would want to observe the mayhem.
"Not once did I think I was in danger or shouldn't be doing this." But running around barefoot in the woods was hard on his feet. A week later, they were still a little sore.
Wade is convinced that the esprit de corps in his section, the core values such as service before self and the sense of volunteerism are much more than just words -- they can inspire a call to action.
"Anybody in my shop would have done the same thing," he said.