"CAMBRIDGE -- A transformer exploded in the basement of a 17-story office tower in Kendall Square yesterday, killing an NStar employee and leaving more than 100 of the building's 800 workers and visitors suffering from smoke inhalation." -- Boston Globe, via LCMedia.

Ordinarily a terrible and horrifying incident in and of itself, this one carries a whiff of coincidence about it. LCMedia's President Bill Lichtenstein and his staff made it to safety, largely unharmed. Meanwhile Nerine Kasei, Marketing Manager for Useful Technology and her coworker clambered to safety out a window onto a nearby garage in the tow of building contractor John Culhane.

The fire disrupted the coordination of the Darfur event with Mia Farrow last week. We will be getting more details about Ms Farrow's rescheduled appearance as soon as they become available.

Kasei, of Useful Technology (with whom we have an upcoming interview) says that while the fire (and temporary loss of access to their computers and notes) presents a significant hindrance, their company's launch within Second Life will go ahead as planned later this week. Though Nerine and Bill work on the same floor of the building, neither were aware that the other was working daily in the Second Life virtual world.