It was June and midnight. I was dozing off on my house floor when I heard shouts of ‘Fire! Fire!’ I woke up feeling frightened. I ran downstairs barefoot without a second thought and joined the people hastily to the fire spot. Eventually, after crossing two lanes from my house, I reached a grand building engulfed in flames. The area was dark due to thick columns of smoke curling into the sky.
I saw that the flames were spreading swiftly. They immediately engulfed the woodwork. Residents were screaming outside the building for help because two family members were still trapped inside. They were asking for help from the public to rescue their family members.
Looking at the scene, people began throwing buckets of water at the blaze to control it, hoping to enter the building to rescue the victims. Yet, the flares constantly crackled and roared in fury, threatening the neighbouring structures in no time. Amid this chaos, I noticed a few individuals nearby were whispering about the cause of the tragic incident, and I, too, was curious to discover how the fire had broken out.
My eyes were scanning the surroundings, and suddenly, I discovered a member of the victim’s family standing away from the crowd, trying to call someone. I approached him. I could see his distress; he couldn’t find the fire brigade number, as he was anxious. Judging his cognitive state, I relaxed him and assisted him in locating the fire brigade and rescue service numbers to call. Then, I questioned him about the cause of the incident.
Shortly, the fire crew arrived at the location. Firefighters hurriedly spread hoses and set up ladders against the walls to climb up. While some firefighters were searching for a way into the house, others were spraying water from different directions to put out the roaring fire. Soon, a few brave firefighters ascended to the burning rooftops to access the upper and middle floors and rescue the trapped family members.
After two hours of heroic effort, the firefighters put out the fire without any loss of life. It was a harrowing experience for me; I struggled to sleep for several nights, unable to forget the incident.
However, after a week, we had a fire evacuation drill at school. It was particularly significant for me as we learned how to protect ourselves and our homes from fire hazards. A professional firefighter visited our class and gave a lecture. He covered critical points about how to evacuate quickly during a fire.
He recommended installing smoke alarms at all key locations in our homes for timely alerts. Additionally, having an emergency exit near the apartment is a safe way to reduce danger. He also suggested that all rooms should have multiple exit points. If a fire breaks out, don’t panic; crawl towards the door. Once you’re sure you can escape, proceed to help others trapped in the fire. It was one of the most impactful lectures I attended, and it put me at ease. Thus, I fell asleep early that night.
Helping questions are given to write this essay, “An Incident of A House on Fire.” You may write with your ideas.
Q: What were you doing when you heard the cries of fire?
Q: Explain how you reacted after hearing the noises.
Q: Describe the situation during the breakout from your perspective.
Q: How did you support the victim’s family in this dangerous situation?
Q: What was the reaction of people as they encountered the fire?
Q: How was the fire overcome?
Q: Did you learn any lessons from this mishap?