Market in Flames

Natural disasters? They are terrible, they can change your entire life in seconds. They spring into action when no one is watching and take their cause. They can happen any day, any time, leaving victims homeless, hopeless, sad, scared, uncertain, exhausted, etc. If there’s one thing that amuses me every day, it's how and why hurricanes are given cute names. How do you call something so disastrous Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Beryl? Does that even make sense? But on second thought, I think such names are chosen to help soften the sound or impact of these natural disasters when their names are mentioned. Witnessing any form of natural disaster can do a lot to a person and many of such experiences can lead to seeing life differently and appreciating it more.  [source](https://pixabay.com/illustrations/explosion-fire-forest-nature-123690/) I witnessed a fire outbreak some years ago, it was a terrible experience, and one I do not wish anyone to experience. Prior to that time, I had heard of fire outbreaks in my country but the closest I had to knowing what it looked like was seeing it on TV. Whenever I saw it on TV, I always felt bad for the victims but witnessing it firsthand was a different ball game. A sad experience that is capable of shattering your heart. I witnessed the fire outbreak at a local market close to my house. The fire started late in the night when everyone had gone to their respective homes, how it spread so fast still beats my imagination to date.  [source](https://pixabay.com/illustrations/fireball-fire-explosion-flames-422746/) Before the fire was discovered and the fire service arrived, the fire had destroyed so many shops, burning them to the ground with nothing to salvage. This was a big market that housed so many businesses. I saw women scream and roll on the floor, men shook their heads in disbelief, and a lot of people wept uncontrollably as they watched their source of income burn to the ground. It was such a painful sight to behold. Before the arrival of the fire service, a lot of people tried their best to put out the fire, but it felt like they were only increasing the fire. We were so glad to see the fire service finally extinguish the fire. I stood still as tears rolled down my eyes. I couldn’t believe my eyes, I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that scenes from the movies I had watched so many times were materializing in front of me. I couldn’t believe that fire was so powerful to wipe out everything in a matter of minutes, how was that possible? I asked myself.  [source](https://pixabay.com/photos/tornado-damage-oklahoma-twister-115801/) I learnt something from that incident. A lot of people need to be sensitized about fire outbreaks and people also need to learn how to use fire extinguishers or better still, learn how to use them properly. Have you ever witnessed any natural disaster before? How did you react? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comment section. **Thanks for stopping by** **Loads of Love🥰🥰** **XOXO**