There was a bit of a scare in Bismarck on the afternoon of this day in 1967.

Billows of smoke poured out of a house on 14th street, belonging to a Donald Feimer.

An anonymous good Samaritan was just pulling out of a service station across from the Feimer house when he noticed the smoke. He called the fire department at 1:05, to report the fire.

Immediately, firefighters raced over, sirens screaming and lights flashing, as they prepared themselves for the worst possibilities.

However, when they got there, they realized one discrepancy: There was no fire.

Feimer had disposed of some plastic waste material in his furnace, and it produced a heavy smoke. Though the firemen agreed that the heavy smoke pouring over the house appeared to be a house fire, the actual fire was "confined to the furnace."

As the Bismarck Tribune reported, "Where there's smoke—(there's) nothing."

By Sarah Walker

Sources:
The Bismarck Tribune, Thursday, May 11, 1967, p.12

This text and audio may not be copied without securing prior permission from Prairie Public.