Answer:
The statement which best describes the effect of people shouting, "Fire!" is:
C. Most residents came out to watch the blaze.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the excerpt, people did not stay in after hearing the shouts. And there were indeed people who volunteered to help. However, we must find what most people did, since all the options given concern "most residents". In the passage, there is a sentence that clearly states what most people did:
"Most stood by watching the yellow-orange flames leaping from roof to roof and listening to the horrible crackle pop of dry pine being consumed."
We can see that most people just came out to watch the fire. It was a dramatic event. Therefore, we can easily choose letter C as the best option.