The Roof Is On Fire

A relatively warm election day morning, and the air was shrouded in mist as mysterious as what the day's vote count would bring by evening. Almost hidden against the backdrop of the fog, was a plume of smoke floating up from the edge of downtown Springfield...



The road up Main St. was blocked off, and a commotion was taking place on the other side of the railroad bridge...



Coming in for a closer look there was a crowd growing, with several fire trucks already on the scene, and more on the way:



The smoke was pouring from the top of the historic Hippodrome building, and the Springfield Fire and Police Departments had been called to action.





A ladder was extended to the top of the tall building and firemen suited up and readied for the climb...



...as onlookers continued to gather, and gawk.









Anticipation built among the crowd, but luckily, it was soon deemed that whatever caused the smoke was not a fire that was going to threaten the entire structure. The ladder was taken back down before anybody made the climb. The firemen were visibly relieved, and the Hippodrome escapes disaster.



Springfield's emergency personnel were ready...in case it didn't.