My Dad was a Provincial Hydro (electrical) Inspector in Canada, and he inspected homes and buildings to ensure that they passed electrical inspection and were up to code. He often inspected rural homes, as our small city is surrounded by lots of forest, bush and lakes.

Many years ago , my Dad spoke to a client who was to have her home inspected. She gave him the directions, stating that it was a great distance from the main highway, with a very long road to the house. My Dad immediately knew what area she was talking about, and went to the address she indicated.

When he got to the house, which was not yet completed, and still had no stairs up to the front door. No one was home, and he noticed smoke coming from the house and heard a dog barking from within. There were no windows that he could easily break into. He found an eight foot ladder nearby and set it up to the door. He doesn't know how he did it but he got up the ladder and kicked open the locked door. He went in, grabbed the little dog out of the house and went to his car to radio for help. Both rural and city fire trucks attended the scene.

The house was almost completed, but the owners did not yet have insurance. The firefighters managed to save the house, and the dog was also saved. It was later determined that ball lightening had hit the house and started the fire. My Dad said that the house was so far in from the main road that you could not see the smoke until you got right up to the house.

However, this was the wrong house, not the one my Dad was supposed to be inspecting.

Later, he went to inspect the "correct" house. It was located in a completely different area, and was not situated at the end of a long road. In fact, it only had a short driveway right off the road. It's strange that the owner gave my Dad a totally different address and description from that of her actual house.

A write up in the local paper described this event which was aptly titled 'Wrong Place, Right Time'. There was a happy ending for all, and I am glad that the client gave a totally incorrect address and directions, and that my Dad somehow was able to find the strength to break down the door, help save a family pet, and that the firefighters were able to preserve the new homeowner's house. God definitely works in mysterious ways.

Lori Cacciatore

Posted April 13, 2011