There was a fire in the building today. There have been several fires since I've lived here. All have been small containable affairs (grease fires in kitchens producing more smoke than fire). Today was the real thing. It was odd. The alarm went for bit and then went off. I was getting dressed to go to the store and continued doing so, as I smelled no smoke. Heard the fire engines arriving and then realized that they were continuing to arrive, but I still smelled no smoke. Went to the window, looked out, and up on the fifth floor, glass had broken in a window and I was watching flames climb the center bar of the sash. After what seemed an eternity, sprays of water started coming through the broken window. But by then I could see flames rising in the adjacent window and also in the living room windows. Soon the firemen were in action in both rooms, breaking out the windows with their hatchets and dousing the fire with water that spewed out of the broken windows and ran down the blonde brick in sooty rivulets. Also by then the alarm sounded again and this time it kept ringing. Puss was in a small frenzy because of the alarm and the voices in the hall. I knew there was no point trying to get him in his carrier. Nothing to do but raise the blinds and head for the store.
The roads were blocked by police cars, so I ended up walking, but was able to get a bus back. No one, I found out on returning, was hurt, which is really all that matters.
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