I watched in horror as the huge orange flames engulfed the house. It was 9 p.m. and I was watching news and the reporter was reporting at the scene about a bungalow that had gone up in flames. Someone had accidentally ignited a pile of newspapers and the fire had spread wildly. As I watched the firefighter rushing to douse the fire, I could not help but recall the fire at my HDB block two years ago.
It was 11 a.m. and my mother had gone out to buy food for lunch. I was all by myself at home doing homework, when a sudden loud explosion rocked the entire place. Although I was shocked, I was overcome by curiosity and looked out of the window. I saw fire coming out of the fourth level as I was staying on the sixth level. I was stunned for a moment but after awhile I called the fire brigade.
When I looked again, there was complete pandemonium and people were running in many directions. There were clouds of smoke and it invaded my nostrils. Petite little children were screaming and loud terrified cries filled the air. While I was rushing down, the smoke got thicker and it filled the air, shrouding my vision. It stung my eyes and made me cough. I ran blindly forward for fresh air as the building was engulfed in flames.
Soon, the fire brigade arrived and I noticed I was one of the lucky few as there were still many people trapped inside shouting. My limbs went numb as I stood there watching the scene unfold before me and there was nothing I could do. There were injured people lying around and I did not know they were dead or alive. Some firefighters were spraying jets of water with the hose, some were administering CPR and some were calming the victims. A crowd of onlookers had gathered too.
Later did I know, it all started with a boy, no more than four years old, playing with matchsticks. Injured people were sent to the hospital and were relieved to see their loved ones. After this incident, I realised that fire is a good servant but a bad master.
Turning back to the news, I was relieved to hear that the bungalow was vacant at that time. The occupants were on a holiday but left a lighted candle at the alter unblown. At least, no lives were lost in this incident.
Jewel Hong
My lungs felt dry. My throat was parched. My eyes were tearing. My face and body were soaked in perspiration and my heart was pounding hard and fast.
“Somebody save me!” I pleaded hysterically. I was trapped in my flat which was engulfed by fire all because of me.
I had been staring anxiously out of my window for what seemed like eternity. Finally, I say someone approaching to where I was. I also saw him whipping out his cell phone from his pocket and dialling a number in. Unfortunately, I did not know what the number was, as I was too far away. Therefore, I shouted again. This time, even louder. He looked up and gave me a thumbs-up. I guess that meant that he had called for help.
The flashback on how the fire started played in my mind again and again... The fire started when I was in the kitchen. I was trying to prepare lunch for me and my mother. I always am amazed by how a single spark could help my mother whip up delicious and scrumptious meals all the time. Therefore, I decided to experiment, but little did I know that a mere overspill of oil onto naked flames could cause a fire.
“EE YO EE YO!” the shrill loud sirens of the fire engine, the police car and the ambulance interrupted me. I was relieved that help had finally arrived. A big crowd of on-lookers had also gathered at the scene. The policeman ushered them to safety.
Amongst the on-lookers, I saw one of my mother’s friends. She was talking very anxiously on the phone. Unfortunately, the man that helped me call for help was nowhere to be seen. The firemen were already spraying jets of water with the hose into my house.
Soon after, I saw my mother bursting through the crowd and calling my name. There were tears in her eyes and there was an incredulous look on her face. I could see from where I was that she was panic-stricken. She was very emotional. She attempted to barge in to save me but she was restrained by some on-lookers. Still, she screamed until her voice was hoarse.
When I looked directly beneath me, I saw a fireman climb up a ladder to bring me down. He shouted some instructions to me and I obeyed them. Very soon, I was down on the ground. The paramedics zoomed my mother and I off to the hospital immediately. On the way there, I told my mother the whole story. She scolded me for ‘playing’ with fire but I could see deep down, she was relieved.
At the hospital, the doctors did a check-up on me and confirmed that I was fine. He gave me some pills as an extra precaution. As my mother knew that the house would be a charred mess, she called my aunt and asked if we could stay over tonight. I learned a very important lesson today and that is, fire is a good servant but a bad master.
The sun shining brightly on the cobble slabs caused kenneth to squint. It was the hottest day of the month so far, and everyone was staying indoors to keep cool. Kenneth wished that he could stay indoors too, but he was playing soccer with his friends in the nearby field near his house.
Whilst daydreaming, he did not notice that the soccer ball was flying directly at him. “Kenn……. Bang!” Too late.The ball hit directly at Kenneth’s face.
“Ouch !” Kenneth kept groaning in pain. Consequently, the red patch on his face bore the pattern of the soccer ball. “Guys, I’m exhausted! Why don’t we end the soccer practice here?” Kenneth suggested. He had used up all his energy, and what he longed for was a nice cool bath followed by a cup of ice-cream sundae with extra chocolate topping. By now, Kenneth was drooling at the thought of it. After agreeing to call it a day, all of them went home and walked separate ways.
Kenneth phoned his father and his father picked him up within minutes. Perspiration glistened on his forehead as he entered the car. Even after resting, he was still breathless and tired. His lethargic body slouched contentedly in the middle of his father’s car backseat as Kenneth took in the cool air-conditioning.
Suddenly, when Kenneth’s father turned at the curb of the traffic light, an enormous fire greeted them. That block of flats right before their eyes was on fire! From the safety of his father’s car, Kenneth watched in both awe and terror at the events that unfolded dramatically before him. “Stay here and don’t move!” Kenneth’s father had instructed him minutes earlier, before disappearing into the crowd of curious onlookers that had gathered at the scene. There were many police cars and fire engines.
When Kenneth looked curiously at the house that was burnt, he saw balls of flames being spewed from the windows. To his horror, he saw a petite boy, no more than six years old, yelling and waving his arm frantically in the air. Clouds of dense, black smoke rose into the sky like gigantic balls of ashened cotton wool.
Chaos reigned. Screams were heard everywhere and within minutes, residents were evacuated and the police tried to calm them down. A man was seen desperately trying to wriggle his way through the police cordon but was blocked by the police. A middle aged woman, was forcibly dragged away by three onlookers from her flaming abode, was howling uncontrollably for the safety of her loved ones.
“WHOOOSSHHH………” Huge jets of water suddenly sprayed out powerfully through the sky as two of the firefighters simultaneously took aim with their trunk- like hoses.
“Mum!” The boy screamed raucously. The pungent smell of the smoke besieged him and he struggled to breathe. With little time to spare, the firemen sprang into action, while one of them propped the long ladder against the wall and climbed up on it in a last- ditch attempt to save the little boy. The fireman coaxed the little boy to slowly climb out of the window and into the arms of the fireman.
When the little boy’s feet touched the ground, the onlookers roared and clapped in ecstasy. His hysterical mother rushed towards the little boy with tears of relief welled up in her eyes, she took the boy into her arms in a tight hug and packed him into the ambulance.
Lady Luck must have been smiling on the little boy that day, for he escaped with only minor burns and scratches. The police were still investigating the reason behind the fire. Kenneth and his father hoped that light would be shed on the truth soon.
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