I was acting crazy in North America, and all the crazy people there took it seriously.

Chapter 105 The city is in a terrible state, but the cats and dogs are safe.
For an average Chicagoan, the day begins, as usual, with the Sun.

As usual, Mr. and Mrs. Smith sat at the breakfast table and opened the newly arrived Sun newspaper.

When their eyes fell on the front-page photo, coffee cups hung in mid-air, and bacon slipped from their forks—the two were speechless with shock at the sight before them.

The Sun was the most audacious, being the first newspaper to capture panoramic photos of a fire tornado destroying a city.

What unfolded before them was a horrifying scene: a massive fire tornado pierced the heavens and the earth, resembling divine punishment as described in the Bible.

Its size was beyond imagination, with its base engulfing an entire block and its top disappearing into the city sky, which was stained black by thick smoke.

Black and white photographs do not prevent people from recognizing their power; on the contrary, they are filled with a kind of apocalyptic, shocking beauty.

"My God!" Mr. Smith finally found his voice.

Although they had learned about the wildfires in Oklahoma through the radio, it wasn't until they saw the exclusive photos in The Sun that they truly understood the scale of the disaster—it wasn't an ordinary fire, but a cataclysmic divine punishment.

Even President Harding, who was on vacation on the beach, only realized how serious the fire was after seeing the photos in the newspaper!

The president did not cancel his vacation, but the White House issued a national statement: "The president has been closely monitoring the fires and has ordered the deployment of all available federal firefighting assets to quickly assist in extinguishing the fires in Oklahoma..."

Governors from various states also responded.

The New York governor telegraphed that he would send his best firefighting team!

The governor of Illinois has pledged to provide all necessary medical supplies!
Public sentiment was boosted.

Is it finally time for everyone to lend a hand when one is in trouble?
Good, good, with support from all sides, what disaster is insurmountable?
……

Logan, who was on the front lines of the disaster, said that people would lose their confidence if they saw what was happening in front of them.

After the massive fire tornado burst out of Oklahoma, it traveled north, igniting grasslands and forests along its path, burning the mountains and fields.

As the wildfires reached the border between Oklahoma and Kansas, the heatwave, carrying large amounts of smoke and ash, shot thousands of feet into the sky, forming a unique cloud layer—pyrocumulus.

Whether due to the interaction with the fire tornado or something else, the already terrifying pyrocumulus cloud quickly escalated into a "pyrocumulonimbus cloud".

Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the clouds, but instead of rain, a dry thunderstorm with sparks flew.

These thunderstorms easily ignited new fires several kilometers away from the main fire site and triggered air currents that created strong winds, further intensifying the fire.

To be fair, the American fire department at that time was not lacking in brave men.

Firefighters risked their lives to set up firebreaks in front of the fire, which involved manually digging a firebreak and burning off the flammable materials in it beforehand. This way, when the fire reached the firebreak, it could not advance any further.

However, the presence of fire tornadoes and pyrocumulonimbus clouds rendered their hard work in digging the firebreaks completely futile.

The fire easily crossed the firebreak, and Wichita, Kansas, unfortunately became the third city to be struck by the "divine fire."

Fortunately, without the support of oil, the fire tornado was unlikely to ignite the entire city.

Unfortunately, Wichitauri had many lumber mills, and the wood was blown into the air and then fell as fire rain, setting half of the city ablaze!
At this point, other media outlets finally managed to rent planes and follow in the footsteps of The Sun, flying over the fire.

Then, the telegrams sent back by the reporters were filled with despair: "From the air, the entire Midwest looks like it's on fire. The sea of ​​fire stretches endlessly, and there is no hope in sight."

"Humanity can only kneel and pray in the face of such power."

The White House then changed its tone, solemnly announcing that the fire was beyond human control and a once-in-a-century natural disaster!
Several Midwestern states surrounding Oklahoma have issued unprecedented warnings, stating that they may face a fire threat and advising residents to prepare for evacuation in advance.

In short: Kids, run for your lives! The American people—especially residents of the Midwestern states—fell from elation to panic in an instant!

They kept a close eye on the progress of the "divine punishment" in the newspapers, fearing that it might suddenly befall them at any moment!
But the newspapers were full of bad news!
"The Tulsa fire covered more than 200,000 acres, reduced thousands of homes to rubble, and left more than 800 people missing!"

"Tens of thousands of people in Oklahoma City were forced to evacuate, all their property was destroyed in the fire, and they were left destitute overnight!"

"The fire brigade was trying to stop the wildfire from spreading, but was surrounded by the fire due to a sudden change in wind direction, and was completely wiped out!"

A sense of helpless panic spread across the Midwestern states, as if the end of the world was imminent.

Long lines formed at gas stations as people rushed to stock up on supplies, and maps and escape route maps became the best-selling items.

Even in Chicago, which is almost two states away from the fire, Mrs. Smith anxiously asked her husband, "Will the fire keep burning towards us? Should we pack our bags?"

Then they saw the new edition of The Sun.

This issue of The Sun was unlike any other newspaper; instead of bad news, it was "full of love"!
The front-page photo shows a firefighter covered in soot carrying a rescued kitten out of the Oklahoma City fire.

The firefighter's thick beard and determined gaze, paired with the kitten's pitiful eyes, echoed the towering flames behind him, making it seem as if he had saved the world!

The second version features a photo of a volunteer rescuing a shivering puppy during the Wichita fire.

In the photo, he is kneeling on the ground protecting the puppy and giving it water. The puppy is holding his hands tightly in its arms.

The Sun proudly proclaimed, "Human kindness exists everywhere! Miracles of life are happening everywhere!"

"Our heroes never gave up on any life, even in their most desperate moments!"

"As long as even one life is saved, the rescue is a success, a great one!"

"The city may be destroyed, but the cats and dogs are still safe!"

"Where there is life, there is hope! Don't panic, hope will always remain in America!"

"God bless America!"

As for whether the cat and dog's owners were rescued, The Sun didn't mention it at all.

Well, cats and dogs can't talk anyway.

"..."

Mr. Smith looked at the rescued kittens and puppies in the newspaper, then at the gray sky outside the window—the fire hadn't arrived yet, but the smoke seemed to have already drifted to Chicago.

He turned to his wife, his face full of confusion: "Is The Sun going crazy again? Who cares about whether these cats and dogs have been rescued?"

However, Mrs. Smith was deeply moved: "What lucky kittens and puppies, what loving rescuers! This world is still full of light!"

"God bless America!"

A question mark slowly appeared on Mr. Smith's face. "?"

……

(End of this chapter)