News story

Assignment: Write a four-paragraph news story from the following facts using the correct AP style. You are writing for the Wednesday morning edition of your newspaper.

Facts: Station 19 firefighters received a call at 10:55 p.m. Tuesday about a house on fire. Firefighters responded to the scene and arrive at 11:04 p.m. After a short, intensive battle, firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze at 11:30 p.m.
Fire Chief Bill Malone learned that the cause of the fire was carelessness on the part of the home's owner Henry Smith, 29, who fell asleep while smoking in bed. Malone estimated the damage to the house at 1705 W. Haven Street to be approximately $2,500 dollars.
Upon further investigation, you learn that this was the eighth fire this year caused by smoking in bed. There were only four fires all of last year caused by smoking in bed. Smith was not injured in the fire and Malone said no charges will be filed against Smith.
You call Smith and he said he was grateful the damage was not worse but he was critical of what he called the “slow” response time of the fire department. “If the firemen had done their job the way they should have then my home could have been saved faster. They're trying to put the blame on me by saying that I was smoking in bed.”