That’s Outrageous: 3 Raging Fire Stories You Won’t Believe Are True

Check out this round up of unbelievably wild raging fire stories you probably won’t see in the news.

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Man saves family -and ribs- from fire
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Man Saves Family—and Supper—from Raging Fire

Fresno, Calif., resident Robert Wright leaves no man—or meat—behind. One evening last September, while he was barbecuing a late-night snack, Wright noticed flames shooting out the window of his neighbour’s apartment. He ran into his building, which was filled with smoke, made sure his family got out safely, and then charged back in to rescue his meal. The incident made Robert “Rib Man” Wright a local hero, and a week later he threw out the first pitch in one of the town’s minor-league baseball games—while clutching a rack of ribs in the other hand.

Want more outrageous tales? Check out these 3 Weird Stories About Unbelievably Lucky People!

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Accidentally adding fuel to the fire
Photo: Shutterstock

Adding Fuel to the Fire

Last October, a man burning garbage in a field near Liberty, Mo., found his blaze getting out of hand. He decided to remedy the situation by driving over the flames with his van. But the man had forgotten a crucial detail: there was firearm ammunition stored in his vehicle. Black smoke billowing from the van caught the attention of a sheriff’s deputy on a routine traffic stop nearby. The officer arrived on the scene to the sound of rapid gunfire, but luckily, no one was harmed—the truck’s distraught owner was watching the conflagration from a safe distance.

Want to read more outrageous tales? Check out these 3 Strange Science Stories You Won’t Believe Are True!

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Bonobo monkey in the Congo
Photo: Shutterstock

Monkey Sounds the Alarm

When first responders rushed to an address in Des Moines, Iowa, in the fall of 2006, they were expecting a raging fire; instead, they found a bonobo. The address was that of the Great Ape Trust of Iowa, a research centre where scientists study primate behaviour. It turned out, a 20-year-old female bonobo named Panbanisha had pulled the alarm. Researchers scolded her with a stern message: quit monkeying around. Panbanisha died in 2012, but the centre (now the Ape Cognition and Con­servation Initiative) isn’t taking chances: protect­ive cases cover all fire alarms within reach of hairy fingers.

Looking for more interesting real life stories? Click here!

Reader's Digest Canada
Originally Published in Reader's Digest Canada

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