We don't need no water...

[Rosco the Iroc]

I had to put out an applebees once. I was in the Wendys drive thew across the street and saw the smoke start a wisp and start to really go. But they had beds and it could of gotten out of hand. So pre net phone days I could not google and call so I went over and in the "to go" door it was next to. The just looked at me cross eyed and then noted the now large amt of smoke....panic started to set, calling FD...I'm like listen, give me the pitcher of water and ice tea there. boosh. Told them to overhaul it by turning over the mulch and hit it with couple more pitchers of water.

[Smapti]

AKA "The Store! The Store! The Store is on fire!"

(Not sure whether this belongs in SC or GWC, since it's a little of both; I throw myself upon the mercy of the mods)

The land the Store was built on was undeveloped prairie about a decade ago, but most of this region is a subtropical rainforest, and there are lots of old-growth evergreens in the vicinity. As such, in keeping with the local look, our parking lot has several planters in between the rows of parking spaces, with young trees growing in them. These planters are filled in with bark chips and the like.

Guess what happens at least once a week every single summer, when it's hot and dry out?

Some idiot flicks their cigarette into the bark chips and they catch fire, because it's been 2 million years since our ancestors learned how fire works and some of us still haven't gotten the memo.

Fortunately, we've never had a major fire in the planters, but we've gotten some pretty serious smoldering and smoking going on before a customer has mentioned it to us so we can go pour water on it. It hasn't been as bad this year since this summer has been bizarrely wet and humid, but it's still happening.

Which brings us to last night. As is typical on summer evenings, we're getting a huge rush in the 8 PM hour because people have been out enjoying the sun all day and now that the sun is going down they're running their errands. And since the person/s who write the schedule continue to refuse to believe us when we say these rushes happen, myself and both of the other floor clerks are in checkstands trying to get the lines down.

And it's then that the phone at my checkstand starts ringing. I pick it up and it's the customer service clerk calling to tell me that a customer has just reported another fire in the planters.

To which I got to say one of the most pleasing things I've ever said on the job; "Well, we're all checking right now, so I guess we're gonna let it burn."

In all seriousness, I knew it wasn't going to be a major conflagration, and there was a cashier on break who'd be coming back in a minute to let me out, so I knew I'd be able to deal with it then. However, it just so happened that the graveyard shift assistant manager walked through the door.

He walks up to me and says "When (checker) gets back, open up a new line."

I get to respond with another of the most pleasing things I've ever said on the job; "Well, when (checker) gets back, I need to deal with the parking lot fire."