Neighbors and first responders at their best

Dear Editor,

My family and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to members of Vista and South Salem Fire Departments who extinguished a generator fire at our house in South Salem on May 20 (the day of the strong storms and ensuing power outage.)

Our eagle-eyed neighbor first alerted us to the flames, which were nearly as tall as the house. I called 911 as he was helping us contain the fire, and Vista Engine 141 was in the driveway within minutes. Impressive isn't a strong enough word to describe how Vista Chief Jeff Peck's army of firefighters spent several hours getting the fire under control, inspected the wiring and circuit-breaker box, and made sure our home's interior was structurally safe for us to spend the night (without electricity.)

Thanks also go to EMT and police officers who were on hand to be sure my father and I were OK. Plus, subsequent visits by Building Inspector Kevin Kelly as well as the American Red Cross were very much appreciated.

We are very lucky to live in a town with alert, compassionate neighbors and highly trained first responders and professionals ready to jump into action. Calling them heroes is not an overstatement.

J.R. Whalen, South Salem