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Meaning there will be more fires this month. Exactly four years ago there was a fire in my neighborhood. At 2.30 am I was organizing my notes when I noticed that my cat Saffy was looking out the bedroom window. I said, “What’s that? Is Mat there?” Mat our white cat used to live outside. Then I looked out the window and the flames were practically in my face. Well, several feet away, but you don’t want your house to be that close to a fire. The fire had started in a house behind the next building, climbed over the wall, and was now eating that building. My sister and I got dressed and went downstairs with two cats in their carriers, two big plastic boxes of documents, and a Powerbook. I turned off the main switch. And then the fire alarm went off. The people in the burning building had gotten out with their furniture. They sat on their couch and watched the fire. Two fire trucks arrived. The firemen aimed the hose at the fire. A thin trickle of water came out. A water tank was summoned, and seven or eight more fire trucks. Everyone in the neighborhood came over to watch and criticize the firemen’s strategies. “Hindi ganyan yung nakita ko sa Discovery Channel.” The fire made a roaring and crackling noise. It ate the top floor of the building, but was contained soon after so it didn’t spread to our building. We went back upstairs three hours later. I was worried about Mat, but it turned out he was out with his friends. He turned up at our doorstep demanding his breakfast. Some weeks later we decided to have him fixed so he would live indoors with us.

In case you want to do a Fire Prevention Month film festival, here are some movies with fires in them: Backdraft, Towering Inferno, Always, Quest for Fire, and Carrie. And Cinema Paradiso.