MITCHAM FIRE DARKENS LONDON

A massive column of smoke from a fire at a rubber dump in Mitcham cast a shadow over London, reminiscent of wartime days. The fire, involving half a million tyres, required 450 firefighters and 50 pumps to control. The smoke darkened the city during a heatwave, posing additional challenges for the firefighters.

What caused the darkening of the sky over London?

• A large column of smoke

• A solar eclipse

• A heavy rainstorm

• A sandstorm

Where did the smoke originate from?

• A volcanic eruption

• A government rubber dump

• A factory explosion

• A forest fire

Approximately how many tyres were involved in the fire?

• 100,000

• 1,000,000

• 250,000

• 500,000

How long did it take the firefighters to make a fire break?

• Three hours

• Two hours

• Four hours

• Five hours

What was the weather like before the smoke incident?

• Rainy and cold

• Sunny and warm

• Windy and cloudy

• Snowy and freezing