13 THE BLAZE

CHAPTER 13 THE BLAZE Dark clouds, distant rumbles, gusting wind. A storm was blowing over the island. The animals needed all the fresh water they could get, but no rain had fallen so far. And then came a blinding flash and a deafening CRACK! A moment later, smoke began rising from the eastern edge of the island. Lightning had struck a tree. Sparks showered down, and the underbrush burst into flames. The poison tide had killed off the coastal vegetation, making it the perfect fuel for a wildfire. If only it had started to rain, the fire might have been extinguished right then and there. But the rain refused to fall. By the time Roz arrived, the fire had grown into a roaring blaze. She ran over to one of the new dams and started tearing it apart. Branches and rocks and mud went flying until the dam broke and pond water flooded toward the fire. Steam shot into the air, but when it cleared, the fire was still burning. Flames quickly spread along the coast, crawling through dead fields and climbing up dead trees.

Animals who had fled from the poison tide now hurried back to find their old homes ablaze. Sad voices cried out. Family members embraced each other. A crowd started to form, and Roz directed everyone to the Great Meadow. From there, they watched in horror as a wall of fire encircled the island. Plumes of smoke billowed up to the clouds. Glowing embers whirled away on the breeze. The sharp scent of burning brush filled the air. At last, rain. A drizzle, not a downpour. Very slowly, the blaze diminished. Hours after the wildfire had ignited, the worst was over, but for days afterward, wisps of smoke continued rising from the ashes.