Fire ! Fire!

On Sunday night I was reminded of another fire incident that happened 3 years ago. Time flies by but that episode is carved forever in my head. Sunday evening, the single fire alarm in our apartment started to ring like mad when I popped out of the oven my slightly burned apple & pear pie. Being in an 11 stories building, I was dreading the evacuation of hundreds of people, and the reproaches of the firemen (whoam I sure are not even cute). But we managed to stop the alarm by waving a fan beneath the litle gadget.

Now that was easy! Well 3 years ago, it unfortunately happened as smoothly. First of all, it was winter (January) and it was a 3 stories dormitory. The spring semester was starting the next day and most students have come back from their Christmas holidays. I was sharing room 341 with my German-Argentinian friend who was still not back from the break. So I went to the reception dinner at the Cranwell Center to welcome the new international students arrived for the spring semester. There were not many of them but that was where I met my good scottish friend and my good mexican friend. We had fun, with all the other orientations mentors, and around 8-9pm, my german friend and his girlfriend drove me back to the dorm.

While parking, we could hear an alarm ringing, and we all joked that someone must have had a really heavy sleep because that alarm was so loud. Then upon climbing the stairs, I realized in horror that the alarm is coming from my room and that smoke was coming out from underneath the door! We all rushed in like crazy to open the door, and found that the bottom of one of my plastic drawer was in flame, and that the smoke was all over the place. My German friend took off the batteries from the alarm device to stop it from yelling. By then, the window was open and the fire extinguished under the sink, but unfortunately, the whole building alarm went off as well! I was petrified! I hated to run outside naked with only a towel in the January weather, and I knew it was late enough for people to be in their showers.

But most of all, I would have to face the police, the firemen, and all those people evacuated outside...arghhh. In the meantime, I had to give a call to my other friends waiting for me to go bowling at Squires. SO I told them I couldnt because I had a problem. So they all decided to come to my room. So by the time we were outside waiting for the police and firemen (who took about 8min), I had to decide what to do. The officers went in, looked at a silly board with blinking lights, and immediately knew where the fire started.

So I went to talk to them, with the support of my dear friends, and told them all about it: I just stupidly forgot a candle on, and left it there for 2 hours. We all went to my room which was well ventilated by now, and I swear, all my friends were there. Kim from Cranwell came as well to support me, and my friends from the bowling place. They charge my german friend from shutting off the alarm device, and issued a probation for me. Fortunately nothing from the University was damaged. I had to appear to a court and all that. But with the great reference of Kim and my helpful german buddy, I ended up doing a poster for the dorm informing the students about the danger of fire and candles and allt hat stuff (very boring poster).

My whole head was spinning in fear. I thought I was finished because I was in the process of applying for graduate schoola dn didn't know if that probation business was going to show on my academic records..but Kim kindly reassured me and all was well...I couldnt sleep in my room that night. I was trembling all over the place and went to sleep at my indian friend's place.

Until now, Kim asks me if I 've had other pyrotechnic adventures..well, I make sure I leave nothing burning ever in the apartment since then. pffffff