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One fire engine’s captain did a “ hot lap ,” which means walking around a structure to find the best place from which to attack the fire. When firefighters got the input from the cap- tain’s hot lap, they reached the buildings on fire and quickly searched for possible victims. Human be- ings are more important than buildings, so the fire- fighters made sure that everyone had gotten out. With the residents all accounted for, the crews started to pour water on the fire, which had leaped into a nearby parking lot to attack vehicles, too. Advancing behind the massive power of the hoses, the teams found fire wherever they went. The darkness added a menacing air to the flames, as they danced and glowed about. Ashes and sparks flew like snow amid the mist and smoke. The flames lit up another potential disaster— a neighboring property is a historic building, while on the other side stands an apartment house with 16 units. “There was the apartment building on fire,” a fire captain told local media. “Another, smaller

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