Came home on Tuesday from a long day of working (exploring more coffee shops!) to a terrible smell in my apartment. It smelled like burning plastic...or a major electrical problem. Scary stuff for sure! Called the BF - he was equally concerned, but was in a meeting all the way in Chesterfield. Wouldn't be home for an hour or so. Called the landlord and he sent someone over to check. We examined every appliance in the apartment and couldn't find the source of the smell. And it was getting worse... So he called the Fire Department. Before you know it, three fire trucks descended upon our little apartment on Cherokee Street. Fifteen fire men examined our apartment, top to bottom. One of them even had a handy dandy heat detector that sees through walls to determine if there's a fire about to happen. They didn't find anything, but I give them credit for taking the time to do a thorough exam. They certainly could have ripped up our hardwood floors or dry wall, but that seemed a little silly since we didn't know where the smell was coming from. After about an hour, they left. But before leaving, they assured us that it was OK to call back at any time and they'd be there in minutes. It was a scary night for sure, wondering if our place would burst into flames. We had our winter coats, a fire extinguisher and a change of clothes near our bed, just in case the smoke alarms went off. But the smell seems to have dissipated and it made us feel better to know that professionals had examined our apartment and thought we would be OK. Happy to know that our tax dollars aren't going to waste in the City! read more

I pranked my friend's apartment by putting confetti on top of her fans. When she called the fire department for a strange smell, they came and turned on the fans and ruined what should have been a summer surprise. Worse yet, she says they gave her a disapproving look and didn't laugh or smile. As a citizen who pays my due taxes, I am disappointed. read more