火災(zāi)(The Fire)

there was a big fire in one office building in our neighborhood at about nine4 o'clock last night. many firemen and fire engines came.

in the beginning, we saw flames with thick black smoke coming out from the sixth floor; and we also heard the explosion of the gas tank mixed with the noisy sounds from shattering windows. soon the fire spread one by one to the floors above, and finally reach the top floor. some aluminum window frames and some brick walls meted and collapsed from the heat. many people like myself stood outside on the streets watching the fire in horror as we heard the sirens and gas explosions. luckily there was no one in that office building when the fire broke out.

the fire-men were unable to control the fire until the top floor was burned out; it took about one and a half hours for the firemen to put out the big fire. the next morning newspapers carried the story and pictures of the fire.