The moment of the fire
“Snap.” With a dry crack, pale blue sparks scattered across the pile of paper. Lithium burst, and flames spread rapidly. Victor frantically grabbed the fire extinguisher, but the flames spread from the paper to the plastic, and from the plastic to the wood. Black smoke raced toward the ceiling, and the entire facility issued an evacuation order. Ambulance sirens grew closer, and breaking news covered the screens. “Fire breaks out at recycling facility.” It all started with someone’s small trash bag.
After extinguishing the fire, firefighters searched the wreckage and found an oil-stained receipt inside a bag. It showed the last four digits of a card number and the purchase time. Reviewing the gas station’s surveillance footage revealed a clear image of Nate kicking the paper bag. Police summoned him for questioning. “I didn’t know,” he repeated. But those words were recorded, edited for the news, and spread across social media.
