I woke up this morning to a view out my bathroom skylight of a dark column of billowing smoke. There was a four alarm fire on my street. The house 9 away, on the same side caught first. Eventually the fire spread, via radiated heat, not wind, to the house 8 away. The original house was destroyed, but it appears the house it spread to is being repaired already. Two other homes to the other side and the back also suffered some damage it seems. Some firefighters and possibly occupants suffered some minor injuries such as smoke inhalation. My room mates commented that they may have also suffered from smoke inhalation just by being in the house all day.
I never felt in danger, but from my window I didn’t consider it was so close. I got ready as usual, but in the process heard a ring at the door from my downstairs neighbor. When I got ready I found her down the street with other onlookers. She informed me that the fire department expected it to be five hours before we could move our cars. There were tucks all long the street and hoses everywhere. They must have tapped all the hydrants on our street plus some more. Apparently all the activity caused a water main to bust which temporarily gave them a pressure problem till they apparently cut off the water to there to maintain pressure.
I watched for a bit, at the time when the 8 away house spontaneously began to billow smoke from its attic to much grief of everyone there. I had previously commented that they seemed to be doing a good job keeping it from spreading. They did immediately focus on preventing damage to the new house, which is apparently the home of 3 Jesuit priests. Somehow I feel comforted that 3 Jesuit priests lived, and will soon again live on my block. Anyways, while I was watching it appeared to be snowing. Given all the water in the air and the 20 degree temperatures it seems likely. I decided that I’d need to make the 9:30 bus to work, and after waking my room mates and making my lunch I booked it to just make the bus.
At work I learned that I live on the same street as one of my coworkers (since there was only one 4 alarm fire in Cambridge this morning). Although she lives on the other block, on a private drive like thing. I did know she lived nearby, but not exactly how nearby. This may lead to some carpooling.