I could have SWORN I smelled smoke....

[moriah]

Well, I probably did, but it was from a cigarette, not a fire.

I am a nasty cigarette smoker, and I smoke out in my garage.

I was talking on the phone with my dad, and I SWORE I smelled burning plastic. I mean, it was obviously the smell of plastic, but I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. Then I smelled something more like burning paper.

I quickly hung up with my dad, put out my cigarette, and started sniffing around the garage -- I thought perhaps a stray cigarette butt had gotten near something.

15 minutes later after having cleaned out the garage in my panic thinking I had set the place on fire, I identify the smell....

...

My neighbors just started using their wood-burning fireplace the first time.

At least it was a good excuse to clean out the garage...