http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/050207-internet2-fire.html 

By Adam Gaffin
Network World
05/02/07

A fire started by a homeless man knocked out service between Boston and 
New York on the experimental Internet2 network Tuesday night.

Chris Robb, an engineer at Indiana University's Global Network 
Operations Center who works on Internet2, says Level 3 Communications 
cables used by the network went up in flames. The cables were on the 
Longfellow Bridge, which connects Boston and Cambridge across the 
Charles River.

Robb, who co-authors the Internet2 Network Upgrade blog [1], writes that 
Level 3 engineers estimate it could take one to two days to restore the 
circuit. Engineers are looking at rerouting a Chicago-to-New York OC-192 
circuit that normally goes through Boston to Washington until service is 
restored.

Robb writes: "Question: When can a cigarette take down your network? 
Answer: When you throw it at a bridge and light it on fire."

Authorities say the fire, which also disrputed service on the Red Line 
subway, started around 8:20 p.m. when a homeless man tossed a lit 
cigarette. The cigarette landed on a mattress, which ignited and led to 
a two-alarm fire [2].

[1] http://i2net.blogspot.com/2007/05/question-when-can-cigarette-take-down.html 
[2] http://wbztv.com/topstories/local_story_121202334.html 


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