I heard it go off as I was stuffing trash down the chute. My neighbor’s casserole was D E A D.

I envisioned her fanning a kitchen towel below a smoke alarm stuck to her ceiling. 

I thought nothing of it and went back inside.

It beeped for 10 more minutes and then the building’s fire alarm started. 

I emerged from my apartment to help. 

My other neighbor was on the phone with the fire department because her casserole was STILL ON FIRE! 

“They’re on the way. They said to get out of the building immediately. It might be a gas leak, which could explode.”

I ran to get my shoes as the fire truck pulled up.

The rest of the building was already outside. My 4th-floor neighbors and I were the only ones left.

So what did I do? Well, I stopped to take a picture of course! ????

The firefighters swarmed our building. 

So what did I do? I stopped to watch the action of course! 2x????!

One climbed a hook and ladder attached to the first-floor fire escape. 

Two more shimmied up the aerial ladder on their way to our roof.  

And five more came storming up the internal stairs.

My neighbors and I jumped out of the way as the lead firefighter barged into her apartment.

60 seconds later, he emerged.

“The fire’s out, but your oven is destroyed. It looks like something flammable was in the bottom. Were you storing anything in the broiler?”

“Uhh. No. Umm. I mean. Just. Uh. Some pans. I think.”

…and the mystery was solved.

My neighbor didn’t know a below-oven broiler flames up when you use the oven. She had a pan – still in the box – stored in the broiler.

What you don’t know you don’t know the most dangerous kind of ignorance. It can literally kill you.

It’s as true with a broiler as it is with your money.

Don’t learn your financial lessons the hard way like my neighbor. 

If you don’t have a money expert in your corner, there should be an alarm bell going off in your head. 

There is no 911 for your money. 

Start looking for a financial advisor today.