At the edge of East River District, Beijing, at four-thirty in the morning, beneath the darkness of night,
A neighborhood of detached villas, a place only the wealthy could afford to live, lay silent while everyone slept. But that silence
Was completely shattered when a villa burst into flames!
"Fire! There's a fire!! Call the police! Call the police!!!"
Panicked cries rang out from the property management duty room. By the time they discovered the blaze, it had already grown far beyond what they could handle. The security guards on duty anxiously woke the others, called the police, and rushed over in panic with fire extinguishers!
Thank goodness for the empty streets before dawn, and for Beijing's sensible city planning. The nearest fire station, within a five-kilometer radius, arrived at the scene within ten minutes.
The wailing sirens woke everyone nearby from their dreams. Many residents of the neighborhood threw on coats and gathered anxiously outside,
Watching the villa, now engulfed from end to end in roaring flames!
Sirens! Explosions! Collapsing beams! Water cannons! Wind! Shouts!
As the worried crowd gathered around, firefighters aimed their hoses at the burning house that was beginning to collapse, spraying streams of water in unison as they attempted a rescue. Firelight and white steam surged noisily into the night!
"Have they still not been rescued?!"
"Hurry! Hurry!!"
"Block off that side! Don't let the fire spread!!!"
"Please keep your distance! Please keep your distance!!!"
The cause appeared to be an electrical fire. Property management had cut off all power in the vicinity, and in the dark surroundings, the severely burning villa became the only source of light.
Amid the anxious unrest of the crowd and the critical situation, the firefighters communicated through shouts and kept the scene under control.
Then, at the villa entrance,