Question

"He studied the flames, trying to determine their exact location. This wasn't easy because of the distance and tall buildings between him and the flames. In addition, the moonless sky was made even murkier by the swirling, smoky haze. Schaffer signaled down the speaking tube and had his assistant strike Box 342. This sent engines rumbling through the streets – to a location almost a mile away from the O'Learys' barn. " What was the cause of the fire engines going to a point a mile away from the O'Learys' barn?.

Answer 1

The fire engines went to a location almost a mile away from the O'Learys' barn due to the distance, tall buildings, moonless sky, and smoky haze obstructing the direct line of sight to the flames.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the given excerpt, the fire engines went to a location almost a mile away from the O'Learys' barn because the flames were observed by the protagonist from a distance and tall buildings obstructed the direct line of sight to the fire. Additionally, the moonless sky and smoky haze made it difficult to determine the exact location of the flames. To alert the firefighters, the protagonist signaled down the speaking tube and had his assistant strike Box 342, which sent the engines to the approximate location of the fire.