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Darwin Awards
2007 Slush Pile

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Balancing the Generator

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

This has no references, since it thankfully ended up not reaching the media (and nobody died!) but I thought the forethought involved in this was incredible enough to merit a personal account. At my summer camp, you walk up a steep hill to an area with three riding rings, a full stable and sate-of-the -art equipment. Campers are lectured in safety, staff have years of training. But nothing can stop the wonders of potential Darwin awards!

On this particular afternoon, the session had just ended and all the parents had gathered to see each riding group exhibit what they'd learned in a "rodeo".

Step one: See the smoke. A fire behind the riding ring! Panic!

Step two: Campers try to lug water buckets over and throw them on the fire. The flames are now about ten feet high, so this isn't working.

Step three: Realize that this is now a small forest fire in the middle of tall, lush grass. And that a generator is the cause.

Step four: Realize that the horses are spooking when they smell the smoke. Set them loose so they don't trample the campers.

Step five: Realize that generators can explode when in the middle of a fire. Decide that just maaaybe the spectators should go down the mountain.

Step six: Realize that nobody ever called the fire department.

Step seven: Call the fire department.

Step eight: Now that the fire's put out, look for the cause. Could it be the DRY, EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE HAY BALES used to support the off-kilter ELECTRIC generator?

Of course not.

Submitted on 07/26/2007

Submitted by: Hillary Borrino
Reference: N/A

Copyright © 2007 DarwinAwards.com

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Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Whoever decided to support the generator with hay bales certainly wasn't thinking. This sounds like it had the possibility of resulting in all sorts of injuries from the people trying to put out the fire to the horses spooking. I think the staff safety lecture needs to be improved! Thanks for sharing this, Hillary.


James said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Thanks, Hillary, that was too funny! My wife (an equestrian herself) will get a laugh out of this too! I cannot believe some mook (probably a brainless stable mucker-outer but it could have been anyone) set a GENERATOR on HAY BALES. I think only gasoline goes up in flames faster than a hay bale!!


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