Church Ashes Trigger False Fire Alarm
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You have to burn something to get the ashes used on Ash Wednesday (search) — and that triggered a false alarm this week at a Catholic church in Akron, Ohio.
Somebody called the fire department when black smoke was seen billowing from the back of the St. Martha Church rectory.
When firefighters arrived, they found a priest tending a fire of palm fronds. He says his fire must have been smokier this year because it's the first time the fire department has shown up.
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Catholics (search) around the world have their foreheads marked with ashes as they begin observing the 40-day season of Lent, which ends at Easter.