He shook himself. He was here to do a job, and he always prided himself on being totally focused. Part of the team continued to work on the barn, making sure there were no embers to unexpectedly flare to life later. Jogging to the back of the house, he joined two other firefighters still soaking the acreage closest to the building.

The sun was coming up by the time the chief was satisfied the blaze was contained and would not spread to the rest of the acreage and beyond. The ...