fire next door

Here you can see the fire engine and the crowd that gathered to watch. You can’t see the fire, and I can’t show it to you because it’s blocked by a tree. But it’s straight across from me and about three floors up.

First ashes were falling in clusters from the front window, then huge flames began coming out the front, and the side part of the flat closest to me is now on fire as well.

The only possible danger for me, other than smoke, is if the tree catches on fire, since the burning apartment and my balcony touch the same tree. The part of the tree closest to the burning flat did catch on fire briefly, but the tree is too green to start completely burning unless the fire gets much worse.

Stay tuned.

Update already: more fire engines are now arriving. This fire could get out of control unless they stop it quickly. It’s a heavily residential building. I was shouting across at the maid one floor below to get out of there, but she didn’t hear me. Presumably she will know by now to get out immediately, because the flat directly above her is now engulfed in flame.

I saw two firefighters enter the building, and they looked well-equipped.