Everyone appreciates a good customer, the ones that pay on time and pass new business your way. But here's one that went above and beyond of what's usually expected.
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Everyone appreciates a good customer, the ones that pay on time and pass new business your way. But here's one that went above and beyond of what's usually expected.
It was just a regular weekday night, and Bart McGaffey, manager of Pacific Flooring Supply Co. in Sparks, Nev., was out doing a favor for his wife Shelia by running to the store for some cough medicine. It was going on 1 a.m. Friday morning on Nov. 18, and McGaffey noticed an orange glow atop a populated ridge adjacent to Lake Tahoe State Park. "Of course, I got my binoculars out, and there was a wildfire up there" threatening the homes of southwest Reno, he said. He called 911.
McGaffey knew he had to try to alert homeowners of the danger. He drove into the threatened neighborhood and started honking his horn and driving up and down the streets. Inside one of the homes was Roger Barker, flooring market manager at Fortifiber Building Systems Group (Fernley, Nev.).
"I awoke to a horn honking outside," Barker said. "My immediate reaction was thinking it was a partier, and so I ignored it."
After a few more minutes, Barker again heard the honking, and this time he got out of bed to see who it was. Upon nearing the front of his home, he noticed his window shades were glowing orange, and he then saw the the reason: There was a wildfire raging no more than 75 yards from his home.
Barker went outside and finally met the "hown blower." Immediately, Barker recognized McGaffey as a customer and, of course, thanked him. Next, the two got to work trying to alert the rest of neighborhood of the impending danger. The fire was spreading fast. Later on, it would be determined that it started around 12:30 on Nov. 17, just two miles northwest of Barker's home.
According to Barker: "We went to opposite sides of the cul-de-sac to alert neighbors … The firefighters arrived and while I was talking with them, I felt the heat of the fire on my back. I looked over my shoulder and saw flames across the street already in the backyard of the home at the top of the key. It looked like it was about to burn. I excused myself, ran into my house and yelled to my family, 'Drop everything; we need to leave now!'"
After spending the following evening in a hotel, Barker and his family returned to their neighborhood around 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19-their home was still standing. A light snow in the morning had assisted the firefighters in getting the historic Caughlin Fire under control (photo slideshow from RGJ.com). Barker's home suffered light exterior damage and a lot of smoke damage. "Things are now in the process of getting back to normal," he said.
In all, the Caughlin Fire destroyed more than 2,400 acres and 29 homes in Reno-11 of them were within three blocks of Barker's home. Later, several people in Barker's neighborhood would tell him McGaffey's actions are what saved them.
"If Bart had not responded to the fire and called 911," Barker said, "fire trucks would not have arrived at out house in time to save our homes, and many would not have had enough time to grab any possessions. Thank you again, Bart!"