When there's a fire..

I always get caught without my camera when I need it. I am extremely good about carrying it, too. This just hasn't been my weekend, I suppose.

Someone has worse luck than me tonight. As I came out of Siam Paragon after paying a bill at the bank, I found myself stuck at the mall. People weren't allowed out to the street, the Skytrain was suspended, Sukhumvit was blocked off from ever motos, Skywalk barred from pedestrians, and emergency lights were flashing all over the place. The medical office or construction site near it across the street from one of the most populous malls in the city had caught on fire.

Observations as I blatantly ogled at the activity:
- The entire city fire department responds. Or at least it seems like it with over 25 vehicles within my view. Might be a bad time to start a fire in the different part of town.
- Everyone is on the scene in all sorts of preparedness or lack thereof.. I can't even figure out who the people wearing jeans, t-shirts, flip flops holding radios are.
- Some firefighters arrive via scooter. Always nice to know they won't get stuck in traffic.
- One female in fire fighter jumpsuit sighted on a pumping engine, though she was not one suited to go in. Still, I am impressed.
- Many firefighters tend to finish off their job with a cigarette. Guess if they already got the smoke in their lungs..
- Nor are they afraid to strip down on the street. Not a bad way to end a girl's day...
- It was a time for the mall security guards to shine, though what they exactly intend to do with having all of us trapped in the mall, I'm not sure. "There's a sale on the forth floor while you're waiting"?

All in all I am impressed by the level of response and the little I was able to catch of the firefighters' professionalism and thoroughness. They squashed the fire pretty quickly and thoroughly and looked to be combing through the remains thoroughly. Still, I keep the extinguisher within reach.