True Hero - True Story

There was yet another local house fire on the news yesterday where someone had died. Everytime I hear such a tradegy my mind goes back to the following which happened nearly 35 years ago.

On 25th September 1980, I was over two years in as a Police Officer and got into work about 5.30am to do a morning shift. Normally we'd have a cuppa at briefing and then go out on patrol. When I got in, I was told to go and relieve another officer preserving the scene at 116 Moorland Park, Lliswerry, Newport, South Wales, where a house fire had started about 2am.

I arrived and the fire service were just finishing off putting out a very extensive fire. The house was gutted. I mean really gutted. A family had been in the house when the fire started and had managed to get out except for the 15 year old boy named Lee Stewart. He had helped his family out on to the garage roof before the fire caught him. He perished in the upstairs bedroom where his body was recovered by fireman.

This morning I went to the local library where I managed to find the South Wales Argus newspaper headline on the incident. (Extra Photo - the microfiche was poor quality) The newspaper says neighbours could do nothing as flames beat them back and reduced the wood framed house to a shell.

Over the years I saw a lot of things that made me wonder. Whilst I was stood outside the house on my own, the street deserted, I stepped inside the hallway. It was black charcoal and water dripping. Nothing was left. I looked down and saw a small book in amongst the rubble on the floor of the living room. It was the only thing in the room that was undamaged - a slight burn mark on the edge. I opened it and it saw it was the Holy Bible.

It spooked me and I put it back where I had found it and went back outside. I can't explain it and I always wondered about it. What did it mean? Why wasn't it burned like everything else? Why had a lovely boy died in such horrible circumstances? Why did God let it happen?

The house was rebuilt and is occupied again.

The Blip photo is one I took outside Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff, this afternoon. It seemed an appropriate picture to accompany the above. Hopefully he's as free as that bird.