KALAMAZOO, Mich. — We've all done it. And by "it," we mean something ill-advised that's inevitably caught on camera and uploaded to the internet.
Enter WKFR radio personality Dana Marshall.
“I had just started this small fire. It was just a box and a couple pieces of paper. Almost nothing to it," Marshall said. "That's when Suzannah, my fiancée, walked out to ask why I was burning something when there was a wind advisory."
Moments later, Marshall's security system captured a stiff southerly breeze spreading that small fire through a chain link fence and into his neighbor's yard.
“Then, I have to jump into action and I try to get over my fence," Marshall said. "Didn’t go so well. I landed on my back, onto the fire in the neighbor’s yard.”
Marshall unintentionally smothered the fire upon impact, paving the way for a few good laughs and an even better TikTok video.
“I honestly was surprised by how clever and rapid the comments were coming at me as far as just grilling me for my bad decisions," Marshall said. "I mean, it’s just dozens of comments of people being like, 'Dude, what’s wrong with you?'”
During the time of the video on Saturday, March 5, winds were gusting between 20 and 30 miles an hour. There was a High Wind Watch in effect for later that night and the following day, when winds were expected to gust between 50 and 60 miles an hour.
“I had that ridiculous feeling that I had everything under control," Marshall said. "I know wind spreads fire, but the way that happened from a tiny fire through the chain link fence onto leaves in a matter of two to three seconds, I didn’t see it coming.”
Marshall is grateful there was no actual damage from the windswept fire, other than a bruised ego. Others, like the popular Sherman's Dairy Bar in South Haven, were not as lucky.
The same powerful winds damaged the shop's roof and destroyed its iconic sign. Fortunately, the blustery conditions spared the iconic blue cows perched atop the building.
We're over the mooooon about that.
Follow Meteorologist Christina Anthony on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!