The outlook around the Gulf of Mexico isn’t so good. Right now there are two storms vying to ruin my vacation in Panama City, Bonnie and Tropical Depression Three (to become Charley if it reaches Tropical Storm status).
Both should be long gone by the time we’re there. The only question is, what will be left? Their tracks aren’t guaranteed, but they bear watching. Especially Charley.
Every now and then, someone comes along who is truly one-of-a-kind. Legendary firefighter Paul “Red” Adair was one of them. He revolutionized the art of putting out some of the hottest, meanest fires anywhere: oil well fires. Adair died Saturday at the age of 89.
His daring reputation for never having met a blowout he couldn’t cap earned him the nickname “Hellfighter.” That inspired the title of the 1968 John Wayne movie based on his life, “The Hellfighters.”
Mr. Adair, who never showed fear in life, joked in 1991 that the hereafter would be no different.
“I’ve done made a deal with the devil,” he said. “He said he’s going to give me an air-conditioned place when I go down there, if I go there, so I won’t put all the fires out.”
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