"On duty at the Courthouse that night was forty-year-old Mathias Schaffer. Schaffer was showing some visitors around the tower when one of them pointed to smoke in the distance. Schaffer glanced at the smoke, but dismissed the sighting. It was just the smoldering embers from the previous night's fire, he assured them. Nothing to worry about."

Schaffer's dismissal of the sighting of smoke had several significant effects. Firstly, it led to a lack of urgency in addressing the potential fire threat, which could have allowed more time for the fire to spread and grow larger before action was taken. This oversight likely contributed to a delay in notifying the appropriate authorities or initiating fire control measures, potentially endangering lives and property in the vicinity. Additionally, his reassurance to the visitors may have created a false sense of security, preventing them from taking any precautions or reporting their concerns about the smoke. Ultimately, Schaffer's initial dismissal of the smoke resulted in a missed opportunity to respond proactively to a dangerous situation.