8. Reading comprehension. The mystery of the fire alarm.

 

 

It was just another ordinary day at Riverview School, or so it seemed. Jack, Maya, and Leo were in class when the fire alarm suddenly blared. The loud sound echoed through the hallways, and the students looked at each other in total confusion.
“Is this a real fire?” Maya whispered.
“Let’s go! Remember the emergency evacuation plan,” their teacher called, guiding them to the emergency exit. The students lined up and walked quickly but calmly toward the door. They had practiced this route in every fire drill, so everyone knew where to go.
But as they reached the assembly point outside, Jack noticed something strange. There was no smoke, no first responders, and the teachers didn’t seem worried. It was all too calm.

“This has to be a mistake,” Leo said. “Or maybe… something mysterious.”
Maya’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s investigate!”

The three friends waited until the teachers were busy taking attendance, then snuck back into the building. They knew it was risky, but curiosity got the better of them. As they entered the hallway, they saw a faint cloud of smoke drifting from the science lab. They carefully made their way toward the lab, staying low to avoid smoke inhalation, like they’d learned.
“Look!” Jack pointed to a burnt piece of paper near a Bunsen burner in the lab. “Someone left this flammable paper too close to the flame. No wonder the alarm went off!”
“Good thing the smoke detector sensed it,” Maya said. “But why didn’t the fire spread?”
Leo looked up and spotted something on the ceiling. “The sprinkler system kicked in! It must have sprayed water to put out the flames before they got worse.”
As they inspected the room, they found another clue: a melted matchstick. “This must have been an accident,” Jack said. “But it was a close call.”
Just then, they heard a sound behind them. It was Mr. Grayson, the school’s janitor. “What are you kids doing in here? This area could still be a fire hazard!”
“Sorry, Mr. Grayson,” Maya said quickly. “We were just... curious.”
Mr. Grayson sighed. “Well, it’s good to be curious, but safety comes first. Fires are serious business. Even a little mistake, like leaving paper too close to a flame, can lead to disaster. That’s why we have all these safety devices. A fire extinguisher for small flames, a smoke detector to alert us, and an emergency evacuation plan to get everyone out safely.”

The friends nodded, feeling a bit guilty. “We understand,” said Leo. “We’ve learned a lot about fire prevention today.”
Mr. Grayson gave a small smile. “It’s also important to remember never to pour water on certain fires, like a grease fire. Doing that could cause a backdraft—a dangerous burst of flames. And we always keep things that could cause ignition—like matches—locked away.”
He continued, “If there’s ever a real fire, leave it to the first responders. They know how to extinguish it safely.”
As the three friends walked back to the assembly point with Mr. Grayson, they talked about everything they’d learned. They knew now why every fire drill was so important and why they should always follow the emergency evacuation plan. They’d seen how fast something flammable could burn and understood the value of fire safety tools like the sprinkler system and fireproof materials.
Back outside, they joined the rest of the students, who were still waiting for the all-clear. Leo whispered, “This was an adventure, but maybe next time, we stick with the group.”
Maya laughed. “Agreed. But I guess this mystery helped us learn a lot about fire safety!”