Completely, utterly minding the business of Yours Truly for really Yours is too much extra-super-bonus business to mind, saw black smoke.
Thick, uh-oh-this-spells-disaster black smoke, pluming over Hamburg Street.
Slowing, nearly stopping, at the 190 overpass saw FLAMES.
So, did what any good photog worth their sweet pixels would do, cranked a left turn and headed toward the danger-center.
Ditched the car on S.Park Ave. @ Sidway and walked to the fire, cam on neck.
Met up with a wizened neighborhood granny who accompanied YT to the fire hoses.
Spotting the cam she asked You a reporter.
Yeah, I'm a reporter, YT replied.
You with t.v. granny asked.
No.
After a puff of her all-white cig she told me some big fam news:
My daughter is going to New York to meet Harry Potter, she won that contest.
On the radio, YT queried.
Yes, the radio, and that R.K. Rollins is going to sign her book.
That's exciting, YT gushed with zeal, happy for granny's daughter's big op.
Onwards.
Fire hoses already on the side street and a little boy's companions stated to me and all the adults in proximity that he was upset because his yard was on fire.
No, another girl corrected her, part of his house is on fire.
He had on a smudged white undershirt and did look anxious.
Others were anxious as well, all their stuff going up in flames as the neighborhood watched silently, all grieving for what was normal a few moments ago.
The air was wretched with the fumes of vinyl siding melting away, assuredly more toxic than whatever molecules float away from asbestos siding when that is scraped.
YT had an exterior painting gig aeons ago that involved scraping and painting siding which much into the job was discovered to be the a-word.
During the flameshoot noted the NASCAR Zubaz, pictured above, and was compelled to document this neighborly fashion.


Up in flames, Love.