Fire-ology firegeezer on 27 Jun 2008 01:12 pm
Seneca Fire Chief Responds:
THURSDAY AFTERNOON WE LINKED TO A NEWSPAPER story in the Seneca (South Carolina) Daily Journal HERE that quoted their local Fire Chief Shane Phillips as saying that the smoke from an outside fire was non-toxic.
Chief Phillips has sent us an email concerning that story and telling about the newspaper’s quote. We are happy to publish his comment:
Firegeezer -
I wanted to let you all know for the record that I never stated that the smoke from the our woods fire this week was non-toxic. I about fell out when I saw this in the paper myself, because I never even spoke to or released a statement to the media at all that day. I contacted the Daily Journal, Editor Brett McLaughlin and he apologized for the mis-print and made a correction in the paper and on line. Please refer to the following article for any further:
http://www.upstatetoday.com/news/2008/jun/27/correction-seneca-fire-chief-shane-phillips-was-mi/
This was a comment added by the news editor and not even by the reporter who’s [sic] name is listed as the aurthor of this particular article.
I just did not want you guys to think that I was not aware that smoke was toxic. This is something that has begun to destroy my credibility and I am pursuing my further options at this time.
Respectfully -
Chief Shane Phillips
City of Seneca Fire Department
321 W. South 4th Street
Seneca, South Carolina 29678
The link posted in his letter takes you to the newspaper’s correction that was published this morning.
Seneca Fire Dept. WEBSITE.
on 28 Jun 2008 at 8:59 am 1.John Rohleder said …
The published correction says that the dispatch gave the “non-toxic” statement. The paper said the Chief said it. The chief says the editor said it. The correction blames the dispatcher. Who are we to believe now?