The Great Fire

Of Belfast. This disturbs me because as well as the damage to a couple of characterful buildings, we have lost (at least for a time) one of Belfast’s major bookshops. We have two branches of Waterstone’s here, and the Royal Avenue branch, in the heart of the blaze, was better by far than its counterpart in literature, poetry and graphic novels, as well as having a longer–established staff.

Fires are common occurrences in cities with old buildings, but this one was particularly fierce — twenty appliances were fighting it through the night. The good news is that they can hopefully reopen, given time and a bit of rebuilding. It scared me though.

Other fire links: some people can’t find the inferno at ground zero. The Great Fire of London, 1666. Spontaneous human combustion. California Wildfires, as seen by the locals.