SEPTEMBER 2019 * REMINISCE.COM 25
AMBULANCE: GREGDPHOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK
A Lucky Escape Becomes
Her Family’s Hottest Story
by
ColleenKnightPederson
SaltLakeCity,UTWE LIVED IN A LARGEOLD
two-story house in Freeport,
Illinois, in the 1960s. WhenIwas
9, our mother, Carol, wasworking
the evening shift at the hospital
where she was a nurse. Our
father, Curtis, was tryingtokeep
track of all six of us kids—noeasy
feat in a house that big andallof
us under age 10. He calledoutto
us (numerous times, I’m
sure) until we eventually
gathered in the kitchen.
It wasn’t too much later
someone said, “I smell
something burning.”
Sure enough, the acrid
odor of smoke was filling
the house.
My father raced
through the rooms but
couldn’t find the source.
Concerned for our
safety, he ordered us all
out and across the
street to our neighbor’s.
From there, we
watched a fire truck
pull up and several
firefighters rush into
our house. I remember
thinking how brave
these men were to go in
without knowing where
the blaze was. A few
minutes ticked by
before a fireman hastily
emerged from the
house, unfurledsomething white onto the lawn
and stepped back as it burst into
flames. Then he stomped it out.
The fire truck drove away, the
house aired out and soon we
were back home, where we
learned what had happened.
When our father had called for
us, my 4-year-old sister, MaryEllen,
came downstairs, leaving behinda fort she’d made of cloth
diapers, illuminated by a bare
lightbulb on the end of an
electrical cord.
The contraption must have
tumbled in on itself, causing the
diapers to smolder on top of the
lightbulb. The bulb eventually
charred the flooring.
Today we know much more
about the noxious gases
that are given off when
certain kinds of flooring
burn. In hindsight, I am
especially glad that my
father had us quickly
leave the house.
MaryEllen feared
being disciplined for
almost burning down
our home. Probably
worse, though, has
been the teasing she’s
endured from the rest
of us over the years.
But there’s a happy—
and ironic—ending to
the story: MaryEllen’s
two boys, Carsen and
Dash, have become
firefighters. And her
daughter, Emily, is
a nurse.
I’d say my sister is in
very good hands when
her kids are around—
especially if she ever
plans to build another
diaper fort.QUICK ACTION by firefighters saved the Knight
family home. Now MaryEllen’s sons Carsen (left) and
Dash are firefighters and daughter Emily is a nurse.MARYELLEN TOOK
a lot of teasing for
her forgetfulness.