PLEASE HEP M As soon as the first shouts of "Fire!" were heard, scores of people swarmed toward De Koven Street. Many helped their neighbors fight the fire or drag furniture and clothes to the safety of the street. Most stood by watching the yellow-orange flames leaping from roof to roof and listening to the horrible crackle pop of dry pine being consumed. Fires were extremely common back then and thought to be as exciting and dramatic as a night at the theater. —The Great Fire, Jim Murphy The topic of this paragraph is the drama of a fire. the loss of furniture. the people’s reactions. the entertainment value of a fire.