英语小故事第333期：The Fire in the Hills (2)

The next morning, Adam turned on the radio. The fire had spread to 350 acres, and 550 homes had been evacuated. More than 400 fire fighters were busy in the foothills. The winds had really picked up overnight. Fire officials declared that the fire was only five percent contained. They said it might take four to seven days to fully contain the fire.

Adam walked outside with his binoculars. Helicopters and four-engine tankers were flying over the burn area, dropping water and fire retardant. He could see lots of thick smoke just a couple of miles north of his apartment building. He could hear the sirens of fire engines. All the cars on the street were dusted with soot.

Adam's brother called from a nearby city. “Are you going to have to evacuate?” he asked Adam. Adam said if they told everyone to evacuate, he would just put his laptop in his car and drive over to stay with his brother. Adam was amazed at how huge and menacing the fire had gotten in less than 24 hours. He hoped that the winds would die down soon; this situation was a little scary. Just a couple of embers flying southward could result in hundreds of homes, including his own, burning down. He did not want his home to be on the five o’clock news.