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This story originally aired on September 30, 2017. On June 10, 1999, Bellingham residents began reporting the strong smell of gasoline. Then, within minutes, 911 operators were flooded with reports of a massive explosion. A fuel pipeline had burst, dumping nearly 300,000 gallons of gasoline into nearby creeks. And then it ignited. Black smoke rose 30,000 feet in the air and flames shot out for over a mile. It’s considered a miracle there were only three deaths. Almost 20 years later, the

This story originally aired on September 30, 2017. There’s Ms Nimbus, Queen of the Air, and Drake, King of the High Dive. There’s the high-wire artistry of the fabulous Dmitry and Annette. And then, of course, there’s Marcel, the world’s only “mime flea.” These are just a few of the cast members of a unique Seattle attraction: Professor Payne’s Phantasmagorical Flea Circus . Payne Fifeld’s breadbox-sized circus sits squarely in a long and proud tradition of performing fleas, dating back to when

This show originally aired on September 30, 2017. This week on Sound Effect, stories of bugs in the system. We first head to the Burke Museum where baby beetles eat away at the flesh of dead animals, down to the bone, so scientists can have a clean specimen. Then we hear from a cyber-security expert about what went wrong in a huge disaster in Bellingham. Also, you may not have known that flea circuses are “real”, but we’ll visit one that exists in the Wallingford neighborhood. We’ll also talk to

This story originally aired on Jan. 14, 2017 “The streets start really showing their personality after dark,” said Seattle photographer Tim Durkan, on one of the coldest nights of 2016. He’s talking about the neighborhood where he lives, and where he grew up: Capitol Hill. “The commuters have gone home; all the yoga stores have closed; you know, the PCC and the Whole Foods — everybody's got their freaking quinoa. Everybody's home behind their little closed doors. But not Rick, not Jessie, not

This story originally aired on December 2, 2017. Many of us make our way through traffic while riding on a bus. One of the busiest bus routes in Seattle is the #7 carries more than 11,000 people every day. The #7 goes through the Rainier Valley and at night It turns into the #49 when it heads north, to the University District. This is Nathan Vass’s bus route. “It’s very enjoyable to get to do North Seattle and South Seattle in the same vehicle. And you see this sort of shift in turnover and

Each year, indigenous people in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia paddle traditional canoes to meet in one location. This year, the journey is called “The Power Paddle to Puyallup."

This story originally aired on September 17, 2016. Imagine growing up in a state to total innocence and freedom. You're a child, and you have an infinity of woods and mountains to explore. You eat fresh blackberries your mother picks in the forest. All the dangers of the modern world are miles away. Everyone in town is like an uncle, a mother, a grandmother. They dress up as Santa Claus for Christmas and stage a big egg hunt every Easter. That's how people describe growing up in Grisdale, a

This story originally aired on July 16, 2016. Sarah Brandabur was no stranger to hiking. Before heading out, she would read up on the trails, check the weather conditions, and have a pretty solid idea of what she was getting herself into. Last October, her plans for a hike to Ingalls Lake in Central Washington was similarly prepared for. It was supposed to be a day hike. The weather was beautiful, and she brought a friend along to make the trek with her. After her friend wasn't able to continue

This week, some of our favorite stories of roundabout journeys. First, we hear the cryptic poem that serves as a map to a buried treasure. Then, the story of a teenager escaping a troubled home life, who found strength in the books of Judy Blume . Next, a group of people who raised their families in a logging camp return to the now closed camp for a visit. Finally, a woman who set out on what was supposed to be a day hike gets lost in thousands of acres of forest. This week we are trying

This story originally aired March 26, 2016. Many children dream of buried treasure and fantastical adventures in search of gold and jewels. Some adventurous adults are following through on those dreams, scouring the western United States for the treasure of Forrest Fenn. After serving in Vietnam as a fighter pilot, Fenn became a wildly successful art dealer in Sante Fe, New Mexico. When he was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, he decided to put some of his valuable collection in a chest and