By Christina Ng
Goldendale, WA, September 8, 2011
Greek Orthodox nuns in Washington state took matters into their own hands when they feared a wildfire was threatening their nearby monastery. Dressed in their habits, the women grabbed garden hoses and fought the fire alongside firefighters and other concerned citizens on Wednesday.
They came from the Monastery of St. John Forerunner and were trying to keep the flames from spreading to their building, according to ABC’s Seattle affiliate KOMO. The nuns wore black and blue habits and one had an apron over her habit.
The fire, dubbed the Monastery Complex Fire, started on Wednesday in grass and brush, but the cause is under investigation, according to KOMO.
The Goldendale fire, 200 miles southeast of Seattle, has destroyed at least nine homes and is blazing over more than 2,000 acres. More than 100 homes have been evacuated, but no injuries have been reported.
KOMO reports that Washington state is now handling the blaze and ordered 65 engines and water tenders to the scene, in an attempt to get the wildfire under control.