ESL Podcast 638 - Fire and Firefighters
smoke - the smelly gray or black air that appears when something is burning; the dark gas that comes from a fire
It was really rude when Boyce blew smoke in his father's face.
story - a floor or level in a building
This skyscraper is more than 50 stories tall.
fire alarm - a loud sound and/or bright flashing light used to let people know that there is a fire in the building and they should leave
When the school tests its fire alarm, students leave their classroom with their teacher while the administrators see how long it takes to get everyone out of the building.
to go off - for an alarm to begin making noise
Bernice's alarm clock goes off at 5:45 a.m. each morning so that she can get ready for work.
fire station - a large building that houses people and equipment for putting out fires
The nearest fire station is more than one hour's drive away, so if there's a fire here, we'll probably have to put it out ourselves.
fire engine - fire truck; a large red or yellow truck that carries hoses, ladders, and other equipment for putting out fires
If you see a fire engine with its lights on, you should pull over and let it drive by quickly.
firefighter - a person whose job is to put out fires
Firefighters come from all over the state to fight the large forest fires each summer.
blaze - a large flame; a fire, especially a big and dangerous one
The investigators think the blaze started with an electrical problem.
fire extinguisher - a metal container that is held in one's hands and sprays out chemicals to put out a fire
It's a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, just in case there's a fire.
ladder - a piece of equipment that allows a person to climb high, with two long pieces of metal or wood and many shorter pieces of metal or wood between them, leaned against a wall to be almost like a staircase
They used a ladder to reach that kitten that got stuck high up in the tree.
fire hose - a long, flexible fabric or plastic tube that carries water from one place to another, used to put out fires
That fire hose is so heavy that at least three strong firemen are needed to carry it.
hydrant - a large piece of metal, usually painted red, orange, or yellow, placed on the side of the street and connected to water pipes under the street, so that firefighters can connect a fire hose to it and have water to put out a fire
It's illegal to park in front of a fire hydrant, because you car might make it impossible for firefighters to get the water they need to put out a fire.
false alarm - a situation where people believe there is a problem, but actually everything is fine
We thought Anita was having a heart attack, but the doctors said it was a false alarm and she was just experiencing stomach problems.
smoke detector - a device that makes a loud sound when smoke is in the air, letting people know there is a fire somewhere
The smoke detector in the kitchen goes off almost every time Kirby cooks, because he burns everything!
to burn - to be consumed by fire; to be damaged or destroyed by fire; to be in flames
Tyler and his wife cried as they watched their house burn.
ashes - the grey or black powder that is left after something has burned
If you light a fire in the fireplace, be sure to clean up all the ashes.
to have a fascination with (something) - to be very interested in something; to spend a lot of time thinking about something
Bud has always had a fascination with outer space, so it was easy for him to decide to study astronomy in college.
to light up - to put a small fire at the end of a cigar or cigarette so that one can smoke it
Please don't light up around the baby. The smoke isn't good for her.