" A House on Fire "   By:   FAIZAN ALI One day, I was studying at home. Suddenly there was a loud noise. I c...

                  "A House on Fire"

 By: FAIZAN ALI

One day, I was studying at home. Suddenly there was a loud noise. I came out of my house to know what had happened in the neighborhood.


What I saw, I could not stop my scream. A house in my neighborhood had caught fire; people from the neighboring areas were rushing towards the house. They were pouring buckets of water to extinguish fire. Many people were throwing sands and dust over the fire. A few people were trying to control fire by throwing blankets on it. But the fire was ravaging. It was a horrible sight.

This house was a three-storeyed building. Some inmates of the house were on the second floor. The fire started from the ground floor. Soon, it spread to the first floor. The inmates of the house who had been entrapped on the second floor were crying for help. Someone in the crowd informed the fire brigade. The flames were rushing towards them. Their lives were in danger. Some of entrapped inmates of the house took the risk of rushing out through the ravaging flames. They sustained minor burn injuries. Those who were on the second floor had no way to escape their lives. They were just crying for help. The people outside were at a loss how to help the victims to come out.

Meanwhile the fire brigade arrived. People took a sigh of relief, because despite their best efforts they could not extinguish the fire. The staff of the fire brigade fought bravely with the fierce flames. Water pipes were laid to extinguish the fire. A staircase was set to the window of the first floor. He took great risk. He brought out the inmates and came down amidst flames. By doing so he himself was injured. The moment he brought down one of the inmates, he fell unconscious. Even the rescued inmate had serious burn injuries. The injured were immediately rushed to the hospital.

However, with a great deal of efforts fire could be extinguished but it caused great damage and destruction to the house. Furniture, valuable articles and other belongings worth lakhs, of rupees were burnt to ashes. The whole house presented a dismal picture. The kitchen, the dining room, and the drawing room were badly affected.

But thankfully no life was lost. The inmates were rescued with timely help and assistance by the staff of the fire brigade who put their lives to risk saving them. In course of which he sustained injuries. Later, when investigation was made, it was found that the leakage in the gas pipe had led to the outbreak of the devastating fire. However, government offered free treatment to the victims and the inmates were also compensated.