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A researcher in the basement of 30 Blackfan St. "had a small flash fire while working on a project" shortly after 2 p.m., Boston Fire reports.

By the time fire crews arrived, the fire was out, although light smoke filled the lower two floors of the building. Boston Police tweet traffic in the Longwood Medical Area and along Huntington Avenue was all messed up.

The worker was able to walk herself to the hospital emergency room for evaluation; fire and hospital officials continue to investigate the cause of the brief fire.

Traffic at Huntington and Longwood, taken by Robert Storlazzi, who reported shortly after 3 p.m. that Longwood was open to traffic again but that Huntington was backed up to Symphony:

Ah, freshmen. A pair of Emmanuel students, unaware that turkeys are everywhere in the medical district, attempt to herd one off campus and into "the woods" along the Muddy River. They panic the poor bird onto the Riverway, where only by the grace of God does it avoid getting filleted by a speeding Subaru. The one saving grace of the whole sordid episode: The sprained ankle one of the guys manages to get when he exerts himself:

Via Wicked Local Brookline (in Brookline, turkeys don't put up with stuff like this).

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UPDATE: See comments below - an employee was found dead of an apparent drug overdose.

Boston Police tweet the homicide unit is on scene at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Nathaniel Jeanson, who got a doctorate in molecular biology at Harvard this year, is giving two lectures this Sunday on "Evolution: Bankrupt Science, Creationism: Science You Can Bank on," in the Longwood Galleria (Ed amazed note: You can get a PhD in biology from Harvard while denying evolution?).

Join Calvary Chapel In The City for a special presentation from Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson, a June 2009 Harvard Ph.D. in biology, as he demonstrates how scientific data from multiple disciplines-including molecular biology- seriously undermines the theory of evolution and supports the Bible's teaching on origins. The presentation will uncover evidence from the age of the universe, the age of the earth, and the relationships among species, existing and extinct, including the dinosaurs.

Rebecca, of Boston Skeptics, reports:

The Boston Atheists are attending the 7pm lecture, and the Boston Skeptics are also attending and/or distributing pro-evolution literature (plus perhaps literature explaining that evolution does not equal atheism).

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The lights at the busy intersection are out, leading to a mess you might want to route around if you can.

It seems state transportation officials have dropped the idea of building a tunnel under the Longwood Medical Area for the fabled Urban Ring bus route, saying the streets are good enough, while wrangling continues between Harvard, BU and CSX over exactly how the buses would cross the Charles River between Cambridge and Allston.

Such as veterinary services, medical center CEO Paul Levy writes.

Earlier:
Some patients showed up early.

Wild turkeys in front of Beth Israel this morning.

In addition to shutting Boston Latin School, the Boston Public Health Commission says it is also closing the Winsor School, a private girls school on Pilgrim Road, for seven days starting tomorrow.

As at Latin, the cause is "unusually high levels of influenza-like illness in recent days." The commission says 34 students - out of 430 - were out sick today.

Boston Public Health Commission statement on Boston Latin and the Winsor School.

Ed. question: Given that the two schools are right in the Longwood Medical Area, are we soon going to hear about a hospital suffering an outbreak?

Paul Levy, CEO at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, wishes to address students at Harvard's medical and public-health schools who are riding their bikes to school now that the weather is nice: Put your damn helmet on and stop riding like a moron:

Today's quiz: What do we call a Harvard student who rides a bicycle in the wrong lane without a helmet?

Answer: An organ donor.