Bizarre Lesson About Fire

Tonight I learned a valuable lesson about fire…in a rather bizarre way.

I decided I wanted a baked potato for dinner tonight but I also wanted to go to the gym. I’m still an old-school potato baker and actually use the oven. Knowing that it would take a decent amount of time to bake it, I got everything ready and turned the oven on. I rationalized leaving the oven on while I went to the gym by setting it on a low temperature.

As I headed down the stairs I heard my brother-in-law’s (the fireman) voice inside my head tell me that leaving the oven on was a fire hazard. I came back upstairs, left the oven on just long enough for it to get warm, and then went to the gym. I knew the potato wouldn’t be cooked but I thought it would at the very least expedite the process.

I drove to the gym and noticed that the parking lot was very full, but other than that, there was nothing unusual. I completed my full workout, which takes 1 hour and 20 minutes.

I came out of the building to find that the railway museum across the parking lot had large flames licking the roof and sprouting from the attic windows. There was so much smoke I could barely see anything except for the bright orange flames.

Strangely, as I drove back to my apartment and I thought of my potato baking idea. That building showed no signs of problem when I went into the gym. And 1 hour and 20 minutes later it was almost completely destroyed.

In a bizarre, round about way, I think I learned that fires happen fast. I'll consider myself very lucky and next time I’ll have more patience for my baked potato.