Vocabulary. to start the fire: The fire was started by children playing with matches

Fire n.

to start the fire: The fire was started by children playing with matches.

to put out the fire: Forty people helped to put out (= to stop) the fire.

in the fire: The library was badly damaged in the fire.

by fire: How many historic buildings are damaged by fire each year?

to catch (on) fire: She had to be rescued by her neighbours when her house caught fire (= started to burn).

to build / make a fire: We built a fire on the beach.

on fire: If your home was on fire and you could save only one thing, what would it be?

to set smth. on fire: The pile of papers couldn’t catch fire itself; someone must have set it on fire deliberately.

to set fire to smth.: Who set fire to the house?

Firefighter n.

brush n. (US) = bushes

brushfire n. (also brush fire): The dry weather has increased the risk of brushfires.

Grassfire n.

grassland n.: the grasslands of North America

Control n.

to get / go out of control: The car skidded and went out of control, crashing into an oncoming truck.

to be out of / beyond / outside control: There was nothing we could do about it – the situation was out of our control.

to be under control: It seems that the disease is now under control.

to bring / get smth. under control: It took them two hours to bring the fire under control.

to get (no) control over smb. / smth.: She’s got no control over that child – it’s terrible.

to impose control on smb. / smth.: He wants the government to impose strict controls on dog ownership.

to take control of smth.: The dictator took control of the country in 1933.

to lose control of smth.: He felt he was losing control of events.

to stay in control of smth.: You need to stay in control of your emotions.

Control v.

blaze n.: Firefighter took three hours to control the blaze.

Blaze v.

contain v. (= control): More police were sent to help contain the violence. / She could no longer contain her anger and shouted at him uncontrollably. /It is difficult to contain these problems.

take off phr. v. (= to move): When he saw me, he took off in the other direction.

civilian n., adj.: The army has been criticized for attacking the unarmed civilian population.

Investigation n.

an investigation into smth.: An investigation has been under way for several days into the disappearance of a thirteen-year-old boy.

to be under investigation: Currently, the individuals who might have caused the accident are under investigation.

investigate v.: Police are investigating allegations of corruption involving senior executives.

Alert n.

to be on the alert for smth.: The public were warned to be on the alert for suspicious packages.