The Maycomb Tribune

Fire Breaks Out at Atkinson's

A big fire broke out at Old Miss Maudie Atkinson's house last night burning it till nothing was left. To make matters worst, the fire even spread to some of her neighbours such as Mr Atticus Finch and Miss Rachel Haverford.

It was a little after one when the incident happened. The town fire siren wailed and woke every white in the town. The men of Maycomb all helped to save Miss Maudie's furniture. They include Mr Avery Dick who almost could not make it out of the fire.

Mr Avery Dick was trying to throw down furniture from the upper level of Miss Maudie's house. But, the stairs burned down and he was trapped in. He tried to squeeze through the window but got stuck halfway. After much struggling, he finally got loose and crossed the upstairs porch. He swung his legs over the railing and slided down a pillar but he slipped and fell. Luckily, he fell onto Miss Maudie's shrubbery and was not injured severely. But he will still be in bed for a week.

Soon, fire trucks arrived and after one night of fighting, the fire was finally stopped. Then, everyone went back to sleep.

Our reporters have interviewed Miss Maudie and she was not looking sad, she said "Always wanted a smaller house. Gives me more yard. Just think, I'll have more room for my azaleas now!" and when our reporters asked her why wasn't she grieving, she replied " Why, I hated that old cow barn. Thought of settin' fire to it a hundred times myself, except they'd lock my up."

Miss Maudie is currently staying at Miss Stephanie Crawford's and will be staying there until she has a new house. The firemen have not yet located the cause of the fire, but they suspect that the carpet which was near the fireplace burned and spread to the house. This incident is a reminder to citizens of Maycomb to keep flammable objects away from the fireplace. If anyone has related information about this incident, please call our hotline 5184 9589 or come to our office at Maycomb, Street 89, Media Centre, #03 -56.