The full extent of the damage will be assessed once the fire is brought under control, the city of Cape Town said in a separate statement. The cause of the blaze is being investigated and one person suspected of starting it has been taken into police custody, the city said. Rewrite this paragraph in reported speech

Which best explains this excerpt’s purpose in the novel’s plot structure? the excerpt creates conflict between characters as part of the rising action. the excerpt provides background information on a character as part of the exposition. the excerpt returns a character to equilibrium as part of the falling action. the excerpt is the point of greatest tension and acts as the climax.