In this case, it’s a real disaster that was sparked by a wedding gift. An Alaskan wildfire that has blackened over 86 miles of the Kenai Peninsula and destroyed 88 cabins and homes in the area. How? Because a couple were breaking ground to build a cabin for their son and his soon-to-be wife.
Apparently, sparks from a shovel grinding against the dirt to begin breaking the ground for the foundation ignited dry grass. The fire began on June 19th. The bride’s mother donated the land and the groom’s parents were going to build the couple a cabin on it. It sounds like a great wedding present, unfortunately – the fire that began on June 19th couldn’t be put out.
They tried to stop the flames by stomping on them and then beating on them with the shirts off their backs. But the flames couldn’t be extinguished. The fire spread so quickly, that the couple was trapped and had to be rescued by helicopter.
The bride’s mother, Vicki Steik said:
It’s just so sad. I have a lot of friends whose cabins have been destroyed. It just breaks my heart. It’s devastating. It’s heartbreaking. What a tragic (way) for my daughter to start her married life.
News reports have declined to identify the potential in-laws as a lot of ill will exists in the area. Many of the cabins and homes that have been destroyed were uninsured due to their remote locations.
Currently, 61% of the blaze has been contained, but there are over 500 firefighters in the area battling the flames. At this time, there’s no word on whether charges will be filed against the groom’s parents and if they are convicted, they will have to compensate the state for the damages based on their ability to pay.
As for the happy couples? The wedding is still on and the bride’s mother hopes that people will respond rationally. She also said
We’re trying to not let it spoil what should be a very, very happy day for us.
I can appreciate the sentiment – but realistically? I think that the happy day has already been marred by the incident and that the terrible accident has impacted a lot more lives than just their own.
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