Yesterday, I spotted this fire while biking through the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve. When I tried to call 911 to report the fire, I was placed on hold for much too long before I simply gave up. If you are considering terminating your land line at home and going 100% cellular, keep in mind that response times for 911 calls differ between land lines and cell phones. Also, while 911 is an easy number to remember, we all need a back-up just in case no one is picking up the call on the other end. I’ll be programming in the direct phone number to the police department, fire department and poison control center soon.