In November 1998, a pair of houses caught fire in Noe Valley. Hearing quite a clatter, we arose to see just what was the matter.

About ten minutes after the first truck arrived, the fire was still going strong. The somewhat apprehensive, and I'm sure, quite bored, San Francisco Fire Department kept calling in more equipment and people. Dried out Victorians go up quickly, I'd guess.

Stephan and I counted 11 engines, 5 ladder trucks, 2 PG&E crews, 1 Ambulance, 1 Captain's Suburban and 1 Heavy Rescue truck.

The Chronicle reported that 95 firefighters had responded to the scene. If anything, that was an undercount. Witness the seven firefighters on the staircase, eight on the street and half dozen or so visible on the roof.

The fire in otherwise sleepy old Noe even made the 11 o'clock news.