Fire!

In the middle of a time-kill workday, it was easy to get excited when sirens came whaling upon the school grounds. Nobody -- from the principal on down -- seemed to know why firetrucks and ambulances were zipping around building number 2 heading toward the the far side of campus. Had a student been injured? Did a student's errant smoke light the nearby brush?

The vice principal got on the PA and asked any nearby teachers to check out what was going on. Then he and and few others rushed toward the scene themselves.

Eventually Nick and I decided to venture out as well. We joined a growing group of students watching a light plume of smoke rise above the bamboo trees just off campus. A fire! It didn't look to big, and with almost no wind it didn't appear to threaten school.

I joked with some students about whether they started it, as bamboo trees exploded with occasional muted pops and bangs. The firefighters scrambled to get into position. As the smoke thickened, teachers sent the students back to their classrooms as we all continued to watch.

It was impossible to tell what caused the fire, or what was burning, at least from our vantage point. After a few minutes the smoke cleared and the fire appeared to be under control.

Now, I'm back at my desk, killing time, waiting out the next mini-adventure.