Burning down the house

Today I noticed a pillar of smoke on my way home...

I stopped at the apartment and grabbed my camera. I headed back towards the source of the smoke. Could Wal-mart be burning? No, it was the final practice session of the local fire departments. Behind the Lancaster Wal-mart there is a condemned farmhouse. So Wally World escapes unscathed, but it was amazing to watch the shed & house burn. I talked to a fireman. He told me that they had been practicing search & rescue and other fire-related activities at this site for 2 years. Today was the final practice session, where everything was torched. The fire drew a crowd of around 30 people - kids, parents, grandparents, etc. Everyone enjoyed the show, but the heat from the shed alone was unbelievable.