Question

read this excerpt from the great fire.

several minutes passed before schaffer looked up from what he was doing and saw flames leaping wildly into the black sky. the light was from a different fire after all; hed been fooled because this new blaze was almost directly behind the still-flickering remnants of the saturday october 7 fire.

he studied the flames, trying to determine their exact location. this wasnt easy because of the distance and tall buildings between him and the flames. in addition, the moonless sky was made even murkier by the swirling, smoky haze. schaffer signaled down the speaking tube and had his assistant strike box 342. this sent engines rumbling through the streets - to a location almost a mile away from the olearys barn.

what caused schaffer to instruct his assistant to strike box 342, accidentally sending firefighters to the wrong place?

the leaping flames in the sky
the dark, hazy night and the tall buildings
the remnants of the previous fire
the loud, rumbling engines

Explanation:

Analyze the question and target information

The question asks what caused Schaffer to instruct his assistant to strike Box 242, which accidentally sent firefighters to the wrong place.

Evaluate the excerpt for textual evidence

The text states: "he'd been fooled because this new blaze was almost directly behind the still-flickering remnants of the Saturday October 7 fire." It also mentions he tried to determine their exact location, which was difficult due to distance, tall buildings, and a murky, smoky haze. However, the primary reason he was "fooled" and misjudged the location (leading to the wrong box being struck) was that the new fire was positioned directly behind the remnants of the previous fire.

Match findings with the multiple-choice options

The option "the remnants of the previous fire" directly aligns with the text explaining why he was fooled ("directly behind the still-flickering remnants of the Saturday October 7 fire").

Answer:

• the leaping flames in the sky
• the dark, hazy night and the tall buildings
• the remnants of the previous fire (Correct answer)
• the loud, rumbling engines