The Alley

This morning I let Romeo out to pee in the small yard and noticed a steady stream of smoke coming from the alley between the two apartment buildings behind us. I walked over to investigate and could see that it was a burning cloth on the asphalt. I phoned the fire department and they showed up wearing helmets, holding axes. They were looking in the back parking lot. So I went out and showed them where it was because by this time it had stopped smoking. I contacted the landlord to let him know.  It's a famous alley in this neighborhood, one that always attracts trouble.