Yesterday I blogged about the tragedy I witnessed unfolding before me on the way to work, but I don't think I mentioned that as soon as I got home that evening, I contacted the news station WPRI: Eyewitness News about the videos I had taken of the event.  I heard back from the station almost immediately, and they asked me to send them the videos.  Their news anchor called me as well, and asked me if they could "come over and talk to me" about the incident.  I said no.

I figured I didn't need the fifteen seconds of fame (you don't get fifteen minutes anymore, did you know that?).  I hadn't been involved, I had just missed the heroics of the passing stranger who pulled everyone from the people safely, and I didn't want to be on camera.  Still, it was exciting to know that I could have been on the evening news, and equally as exciting to know that I had the power of refusal.  

Still, I did feel a thrill when I turned on the TV last night and saw a brief clip of the videos I'd sent and a blurb saying that my "new exclusive live footage" would be on the news after the break.  I called my boyfriend and my friends to tell 'em to turn on the news, and there it was, the video I'd taken on the fire.  How exciting! 

I was glad to see the story get some press, but I hope that the people involved are able to find new home easily, as well as get new material goods right away.  I feel so sorry for the girl in the white towel who has, literally, just the towel on her back.  And the new mom-to-be with her little son who cried about the smoked pouring from the house?  I hope they've found somewhere safe to stay to recover from the shock.

It seems many people's lives have been touched by fire.  When I got to work, I discovered that a student from the school had died recently in a house fire.  Later, when discussing the story with my roommates, I learned that another friend of ours had lived in a house that burned down when she was very young.  My roomie told me how they'd come back, several days after the fire, to discover that their house had been completely looted and everything recoverable had been stolen.  Now, I understand why the moving vans had been called so quickly at 38 Bridgham Street.  

How sad is that?  Not only have these people had their lives turned upside down in one terrifying instance, but they've had to worry about everything salvagable being stolen.  We live in a sad world, folks.

Okay, I know this is a downer, so I promise to write about something more upbeat next time...