Garage Explosion in Roanoke County

Reed Bohon and Fire Marshall Scott Jones survey the remains

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A Roanoke County man's garage exploded into flames destroying it completely and damaging part of his house on the afternoon of Dec 27.

Reed Bohon was startled by noise outside of his house that he thought was a car accident. He looked out the window and saw smoke pluming from the garage through the bay doors and windows.

Roanoke County Fire Station 11 was the first on the scene with Engine 11, along with other fire trucks. The fire was raging when they got there. Despite the damage from the fire no one was hurt.

Dean Peroulas, Captain of Fire Station 11, said that their main concern was Bohon's house did not catch on fire.

Engine 11 experienced hardships while trying to contain the fire. Getting water to the fire was difficult. The wind made it difficult to keep the fire away from house.

Firefighters set up a water shuttle to transport water from hydrants close by.

"Sometimes we ran out [of water], but most of the time we had enough water to do what we need to do," said Peroulas.

Though the fire did not destroy the home, it melted the siding and caused smoke damage.

Scott Jones, a Roanoke County Fire Inspector, said that he estimates the damages to be $80 to $100 thousand.

Fire inspectors are still determining what caused the fire, though there are many sources that could have started the blaze.

"A lot of heat and electrical sources in here," said Jones. "So far we have not come up with anything yet, but it is still under investigation."

Power tools, a pickup truck and vintage tractor parts were some of the most expensive things that Bohon lost in the fire.

"It's all up in smoke," said Bohon.

Mistakes help us learn

Film forces you to make mistakes. It's a good thing.

In the Shakespearean play "Othello", the character Iago said, "But men are men; the best sometimes forget."

No one is perfect. Yet, it is easy to forget this when your scholarship depends on what happens in the testing center.

It is our human instincts to avoid pain, embarrassment or discomfort. Therefore, we naturally avoid mistakes and shun them as skeletons in the closet.  However, a fear of mistakes can be debilitating because they are impossible to avoid entirely.

I have trained many photographers while I have been photo editor. Many of them have never used anything more than their Facebook-ready cameras, so they have to be trained on the basics. Many members of my staff have asked what they should do to improve their skills. I tell them to buy a film camera.

The shock on their face after hearing this is more entertaining to me than NBC on a Thursday night.

There is a reason why this seemingly archaic medium is so important to a photographer's progression. It takes time, money and a great deal of thought to produce an image with film. However, film helps a photographer learn how to take a real photograph rather than a trial-and-error image.

Unlike digital photography where there are few consequences, mistakes in film are much more costly. These mistakes hurt, but that's how we learn.

The same principle applies to all aspects of life. The course of our lives depends on the choices we make. Many times the fear of making a mistake leads us to the path of least resist. However, the path of least resistance can quickly become the path of least learning.

Dr. Judith Wright, a motivational speaker and author of "The One Decision" said that creative minds "do not see mistakes as indictments, they see them as data."

R. L. E. Schwarzenberger, a German Mathmatician, said, "The willingness to make mistakes and to learn from them should become an important element in problem-solving and in investigations."

Granted, it is not a good idea to go out and intentionally make mistakes, and trial-and-error is a poor approach to test taking. However living with an understanding that mistakes will happen and then committing to them will enhance learning.

The problem could stem from a lack of accountability. We refuse to own up to our mistakes when they are made. A failure to do so inhibits learning and the gaining of experience. When we make an incorrect decision, we need to accept it as a mistake and learn from it.

In simpler terms, be humble.

Use pens instead of pencils., get back up after falling off of the skateboard or go on a date with that person you've been eyeing in your class without fear. Commit to making mistakes and embrace error as a gift.