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Muskogee, Oklahoma

I had just finished the late shift at the hospital, and arrived home early that Christmas Morning in 1991.  As always, I glanced out the back window of the house as I headed upstairs to bed.  But sleep ended up being the last thing on my mind, as I noticed our backyard was full of smoke.  At first I thought our garage was on fire (considering my car, it wouldn't have been a surprise).  But then the wind shifted and I saw the true source of the billowing smoke: St. Paul's Methodist Church, across the street.  I immediately grabbed my camera, ran out the back door, and arrived before the fire trucks.  I snapped away until I was forced to leave the street due to the intense heat.  I returned about 30 minutes later and took a few more as the fire was being beaten back by the firemen.   Finally I went home to sleep, and awoke to find that my film had been confiscated in a door to door search by the Fire Chief.  Thankfully the developed pictures were returned the next day, negatives and all.

The cause of the fire was never satisfactorily explained.

 

 

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