Linear Thinking Riddle

There are four people in a house. A fireman, an athlete, an old woman, and a drunk guy. The house catches fire and before the fact is known, it is too late. All they know is that the entire house is in flames and it will collapse exactly after twelve minutes. Now they can move out of the house but for that, they will have to pass the hallway which is entirely blazing with flames. Thus to move, one must carry a fire extinguisher to keep the flames away. Seeking the burnt wooden floor, only two people can run through that hallway at one time. But for others to go, one must return back with the fire extinguisher. The fireman is trained for such tasks and can run through the hallway in a minute. The athlete can make it in a couple of minutes. The old woman can run slowly and will cover the hallway in four minutes. The drunk guy will take five minutes to run through it. If all of them can make it through the hallway in twelve minutes, all of them will be saved. When two move together, they will run at the speed of the slower ones.

How will all four of them manage to run to safety?




Similar Riddles

Why did the Girl throw the butter out of the window?

Asked by Neha on 19 Aug 2024


A large container is kept in open under the rain. Every passing hour, the water collected inside the container becomes double what it was.

In ten hours, the container is filled completely. Can you calculate how long would it have taken to be filled in half?

Asked by Neha on 05 Apr 2024

Can you find the least possible number such that

If the number is divided by 3, it gives the remainder of 1;
If the number is divided by 4, it gives the remainder of 2;
If the number is divided by 5, it gives the remainder of 3;
If the number is divided by 6, it gives the remainder of 4.

Asked by Neha on 23 Oct 2024


What 5-letter word typed in all capital letters can be read the same upside down?

Asked by Neha on 20 Oct 2025

A network of 20 x 10 squares is given to you.

Can you calculate how many unique squares and rectangles can be formed combining two or more individual squares ?

Asked by Neha on 24 Jan 2021

Below, you can see three complete equations and one incomplete. Based on the three complete ones, can you complete the incomplete one?

5 $ 4 $ 3 $ 9 = 4215
6 $ 9 $ 2 $ 6 = 3816
4 $ 7 $ 3 $ 3 = 1122
7 $ 2 $ 7 $ 4 = ____

Asked by Neha on 10 Dec 2025


Can you replace the question mark with the correct letter?

6 + 6 + 6 = N
7 + 7 + 7 = E
8 + 8 + 8 = R
0 + 0 + 0 = ?

Asked by Neha on 08 Jul 2024

Find the next number in the series.
1 10 24 43 67 ?

Asked by Neha on 26 Jun 2024

What two things can you never eat for breakfast?

Asked by Neha on 17 May 2021


13 decks of cards have been mixed. What is the minimum number of cards that must be taken out from the above-mixed cards to guarantee at least one 'four of a kind?

Asked by Neha on 10 Jun 2024

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Rubik’s Cube

The inventor of the Rubik’s Cube didn’t realize he’d built a puzzle until he scrambled it the first time and tried to restore it.