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It's 10.15 p.m. on November 28th, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Charles Kenny, a 10-year veteran of the Boston Fire Department, sits sipping coffee in the station as his colleagues mill around waiting for their next call.

It's not long before Bell jolts Charles and the rest of his crew into action.

Charles slams his cup on the table, grabs his jacket, and races toward the fire engine.

No sooner has he jumped on board than the engine siren cuts through the air,

and wheels screech on concrete as it pulls out of the station.

As the truck speeds through the streets of Boston, Charles hears one of the crew talking about their destination,

the corner of Stewart and Carver. A report has come in that a car has caught fire.

Minutes later, Charles sees the blaze himself, flames licking every inch of the vehicle.

The engine screeches to a halt and firefighters stream out.

They move nosy onlookers back to a safe distance,

while one crew member grabs a hose and connects it to a nearby hydrant.

Another of the crew manns the other end of the hose and blasts water against the fiery car.

In under two minutes,

the roaring flames are extinguished, leaving just charred paintwork and wisps of smoke.

Charles and his crew breathe a sigh of relief. There are smiles all around, and a few

slap each other on the back. One of them looks distracted, though. Charles follows his crewmates'

gaze and sees a dark smudge of smoke rising

...