Firefighters attempt to control a blaze
London had no organised fire service until the Great Fire of London in 1666, which destroyed most of the city. It spread easily because it happened during a long, hot and dry summer, and because most houses were built of wood. After this event the first fire services were set up, and more houses were built of brick.
1666年伦敦大火几乎烧尽了整个城市，在此之前伦敦没有任何有组织的消防部门。当时伦敦正时夏季，天气干燥炎热，这也是导致大火迅速蔓延的主要原因。另外一个原因是由于当时伦敦大多数房屋都是木制的。消防部门在伦敦大火之后建立起来，更多房屋也改由砖块盖造。
今日短语
短语 putting out fires 通常指在工作环境中解决很多小的问题，问题虽小，但很棘手，需要在恶化前快速解决。
例句
Sorry I didn't have time to meet you for lunch today. I was busy at work all day putting out fires.
Sometimes it feels like you get nothing done in the office - you need to spend the whole day putting out fires.
请注意
短语 to get on like a house on fire 字面意思是“相处就像房子着火”,实际用来形容两个人一拍即和、一见如故，关系处得很好。
例句
Phoebe and Alice get on like a house on fire. They share exactly the same sense of humour and are always joking and laughing together.
