Two Bad House Fires in Montebello and Chartwell

May 15, 2026, 04:31
USSociety

Introduction

Police and fire workers are looking into two house fires. People died in both fires.

Main Body

A fire happened in Montebello on Thursday morning. A man, a woman, and a child died. Police think the man started the fire because he was angry at his family. The Red Cross is helping the people who lost their homes. Another fire happened in Chartwell on Saturday morning. Two people went to the hospital because of the smoke. One person died later. Police are still working to find out why the Chartwell fire started.

Conclusion

People died in both fires. The police are still investigating.

Learning

🕒 TIME & DATE

In this story, we see how to say when things happen using simple words:

  • Thursday morning
  • Saturday morning

The Pattern: [Day of the week] + [Time of day]

Examples from the text:

  • Thursday → morning
  • Saturday → morning

🧩 ACTION WORDS (Past vs. Now)

Notice how the words change when something is finished versus when it is still happening:

Finished (Past)

  • Happen → Happened
  • Die → Died

Still Happening (Now)

  • Look → Looking
  • Work → Working
  • Help → Helping

Quick Tip: If you see -ed, it is over. If you see -ing, it is continuing. → Police are still working.

Vocabulary Learning

fire
A blaze that burns and can cause damage
Example:The fire in the kitchen spread quickly.
police
The officers who enforce the law
Example:The police arrived at the scene of the accident.
house
A building where people live
Example:She moved into a new house last week.
people
Human beings in general
Example:Many people attended the concert.
man
An adult male person
Example:The man opened the door.
woman
An adult female person
Example:The woman was waiting for her friend.
child
A young person who is not yet an adult
Example:The child played with his toys.
family
A group of related people
Example:They went on a family vacation.
hospital
A place where sick or injured people receive care
Example:He was taken to the hospital after the accident.
smoke
The visible vapor from burning material
Example:The smoke made it hard to breathe.
started
Began or began to happen
Example:The meeting started at nine o'clock.
angry
Feeling or showing strong displeasure
Example:She was angry because she lost her keys.
lost
No longer able to find something
Example:He lost his wallet at the mall.
home
The place where someone lives
Example:She returned home after a long day.
investigating
Looking into something to find out what happened
Example:The police are investigating the theft.