Thread by @keikoinboston

1. Was waiting in my car to go to doctor’s appt since I was too early when I realized that the mulch at the base of a tree seemed to be smoldering. 🤨

2. I had the car door open because it’s hot and eventually I could smell the smoke.

Watched several people who were standing or walking nearby stare at it and do nothing so I realized I should call 911.

3. To be continued… doctor just came to get me.

4. Since it didn’t appear that anyone else was doing anything, I walked across the street to check out the smoke and while I couldn’t see any fire it looked like a stick in the mulch was charred and it definitely smelled like it was burning so I called 911.

5. As the fire truck was arriving, one of the people who’d stared at the mulch and walked away—and elderly Chinese man—returned with some water. 🧓🏻🚰

6. He poured the water on the mulch and it stopped smoking so much. 3 firemen 👨‍🚒👨‍🚒👨‍🚒 got out with tools and more water and said this happens all the time - someone will toss a cigarette in mulch and it smoulder for a while because it can go deep in the mulch.

7. But they usually can’t get far. (This was a tree in a sidewalk, although it was next to a park.)

8. The elderly man didn’t seem to speak English and was speaking Chinese to us and gesturing.

They thanked both of us and said that calling was the right thing to do and they appreciated it.

9. I had to get to my appointment so I just said “Xièxiè!” (thank you) to the man and walked off even though I didn’t know what dialect he was speaking. I figured he would understand.

10. Was really fascinating to see the folks who walked by and decided it wasn’t their problem.

If you see something on fire 🔥, take a few minutes to call it in, even if it doesn’t seem to be endangering anyone.

11. I did have some water but figured it wasn’t enough to extinguish the fire which is why I called 911.

12. Aftermath of the smouldering mulch. 😬