You Never Get Used to It
9:52 a.m.: Dark smoke billows upward and out through the top of the first-floor window frame, curdling the siding and melting the paint into discolored strands. Three groups of firefighters rush toward the front of the apartment complex, carrying ladders, chain saws and hose line. With a crowbar and hammer, two firemen pry and pop the front door off its hinges, while some screw the hose into the hydrant out front, and others plant a ladder and begin their ascent.
9:55 a.m.: The hose is live. With two pulls and a whir, the men on the roof balance with one leg on each side of the...
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