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Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. burn down (something)
    • ex. An unknown person burned down the building using a firecracker and gasoline.
  2. storage
    • ex. The new apartment has a lot of storage space for my clothes and books.
  3. put out (something)
    • ex. The firefighters immediately put out the fire in the building.
  4. blaze
    • ex. It was difficult for the firefighters to stop the blaze in the forest.
  5. a resident
    • ex. The residents of the village worked together to clean the park after the storm.

Article

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A fire burned down the world’s largest battery storage plant in Northern California in January. The fire sent toxic smoke into the air and forced around 1,500 people to leave their homes. The fire happened at a lithium battery plant owned by Vistra Energy in Moss Landing, California. Firefighters could not put out the fire because lithium battery fires are very hot and difficult to stop. Instead, they had to wait for the blaze to die on its own.

The fire at Vistra has raised concerns about the safety of keeping batteries in storage plants. Lithium batteries, which can catch fire easily, are used to keep power when solar or wind energy is not available. Officer Glenn Church said the fire was a warning for the energy industry. He said that for clean energy to be safe, a better battery system is needed.

The fire stayed inside the plant, and no one was hurt, but residents were worried about dangerous gases being released into the air. Vistra is working with the Environmental Protection Agency to check the air quality at the facility and nearby areas. Vistra said they would share the results once available.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Fire Disasters

  • What big fire/fire disaster in your country damaged the environment, like forests or air quality? Discuss.
  • Imagine that a fire disaster happened to a factory/plant in your area. What would you be most concerned about? Discuss.
  • Firefighters' work is important in responding to fire disasters. Would you like to work as a firefighter? Why or why not? Discuss.

Air Quality and Air Pollution

  • How often do you check the air quality in your area? Discuss.
  • Do you think air pollution in your country has gotten worse in recent years? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • How can communities and the government help reduce air pollution after a fire disaster? Discuss.