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THE BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT, FIREFIGHTERS HAD THEIR hands full Friday night at the Ker-Westerlund & Fleming Funeral Home.  An automatically operated crematory had turned itself on around 3 pm and started burning its next customer and as the fire got hotter it started burning the the roof structural members around the chimney. 

The fire then started spreading into the funeral home and eventually burned out an apartment over the crematory that was occupied by a newlywed couple.  Nobody was in either of the buildings at the time except a cleaning lady who didn’t know there was a fire going on.

brattleboro a

Neighbors first noticed smoke coming from the crematorium around 3 pm and called the FD.  This type of call is common for the funeral home and lacking any other information they usually just send a car out to inspect it.  This time the FF went all around the building and could find no evidence of a problem, but couldn’t get in because it was locked up.  After phoning the captain back at the station and reporting what he found, he returned to the firehouse.

At 5:44 pm another call came in for flames coming out of the chimney, so they responded with an engine.  On arrival the OIC called for a full box.  The fire was soon upgraded to a second and then a third alarm.  Despite the advance stage of the fire on arrival, the FD contained the fire to the crematorium and the funeral parlor only sustained some smoke damage.  The newlyweds lost everything, though.

The cause was later determined by the fire marshal to have been an accident.  The Brattleboro Reformer explains:

The fire was traced to the vent pipe of the facility’s crematorium, said Brattleboro Fire Chief Michael Bucossi.  From the crematorium, the vent pipe rises through the ceiling and passes through a storage area on the second floor, he said, and there wasn’t enough clearance between the pipe and the wood of the floor.

“There needs to be airspace around the chimney,” said Bucossi. “Everything was too close.”  Over the years of operation, he said, the heat from the vent pipe had dried the wood surrounding the pipe.  “The heat from the chimney got hot enough and ignited the wood around the chimney,” said the fire chief.

The Reformer has a good and complete write-up of the fire HERE.

Posted by on September 15, 2009 • Filed under: fire
  • http://www.legeros.com/blog Legeros

    Firefighters Urn Their Pay?

    Grave Situation at Crematorium?

    Crews a Bit Scattered At Ash Fire?

  • http://www.legeros.com/blog Legeros

    Firefighters Urn Their Pay?

    Grave Situation at Crematorium?

    Crews a Bit Scattered At Ash Fire?

  • sabotank

    “The fire then started spreading into the funeral home and eventually burned out an apartment over the crematory that was occupied by a newlywed couple.”

    my first apartment wasn’t the best in the world….but it wasn’t over a crematory!! Heck of a way to start a marriage..with your stuff getting cremated.

  • sabotank

    “The fire then started spreading into the funeral home and eventually burned out an apartment over the crematory that was occupied by a newlywed couple.”

    my first apartment wasn’t the best in the world….but it wasn’t over a crematory!! Heck of a way to start a marriage..with your stuff getting cremated.

  • jcollins

    * As a former newspaper editor, I should be able to help you on the headlines … I’m kind of coming up blank right now, partly because I don’t want to say something in poor taste. My one suggestion:
    — Fire Burns Crematorium

    * My first thought was “I wonder what they found on the primary and secondary searches. How do you report *that*?”

    * Good thing the fire chief knows about the cause, because interviewing the witnesses would be tough. I hear dead men tell no tales.

    * One final observation, in all sincerity: I know several newlyweds who have lived in apartments above funeral homes … I guess those apartments are cheap and not highly sought-after.

  • jcollins

    * As a former newspaper editor, I should be able to help you on the headlines … I’m kind of coming up blank right now, partly because I don’t want to say something in poor taste. My one suggestion:
    — Fire Burns Crematorium

    * My first thought was “I wonder what they found on the primary and secondary searches. How do you report *that*?”

    * Good thing the fire chief knows about the cause, because interviewing the witnesses would be tough. I hear dead men tell no tales.

    * One final observation, in all sincerity: I know several newlyweds who have lived in apartments above funeral homes … I guess those apartments are cheap and not highly sought-after.

  • http://yourhappymedic.blogspot.com/ the Happy Medic

    Legaros beat me to it…
    Firefighters scattered…hilarious!

  • http://yourhappymedic.blogspot.com the Happy Medic

    Legaros beat me to it…
    Firefighters scattered…hilarious!

  • nick

    We had a fire alarm investigation in an apartment above a funeral home one time. I thought I was in the Twilight Zone or something. The creep factor was off the charts.

  • nick

    We had a fire alarm investigation in an apartment above a funeral home one time. I thought I was in the Twilight Zone or something. The creep factor was off the charts.

  • DaGonz

    I dated a funeral director’s daughter back when I was in college. Her family lived upstairs. It was kind of creepy taking her home after a date and saying goodnight in front of a corpse.

  • DaGonz

    I dated a funeral director’s daughter back when I was in college. Her family lived upstairs. It was kind of creepy taking her home after a date and saying goodnight in front of a corpse.

  • joe

    How about “Flames fanned by stiff wind”

    Hey the Newlyweds don’t have to worry about the neighbors complaining that they were getting loud, or about the headboard banging on the apartment wall

  • joe

    How about “Flames fanned by stiff wind”

    Hey the Newlyweds don’t have to worry about the neighbors complaining that they were getting loud, or about the headboard banging on the apartment wall

  • Dal90

    You know, jcollins did hit on a good point with what did you find in the searches…

    Seems to me if there was any bodies found you’d have to start the whole thing over again and treat it as a crime scene, call in the ME, have the bodies removed and re-identified by the ME, etc in order to rule out a cover up for foul play.

  • Dal90

    You know, jcollins did hit on a good point with what did you find in the searches…

    Seems to me if there was any bodies found you’d have to start the whole thing over again and treat it as a crime scene, call in the ME, have the bodies removed and re-identified by the ME, etc in order to rule out a cover up for foul play.

  • J P

    Why is everyone standing under the incoming power line?

  • J P

    Why is everyone standing under the incoming power line?

  • Texas Gordo

    Crematorium Fire is Twice as Deadly

    Arson Victim Burned in Crematorium Fire

    Crematorium Fire Leads to 15 Minutes of Flame for Fire Department

    Ash Can Fire Requires 2nd Alarm

    Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Crematorium Fire Strikes Funeral Home

    Rekindle at Site of Crematorium Fire

    Arson Not Ruled Out in Crematorium Fire: Suspect Maintains Deathly Silence

    Owner of Crematorium Has Burning Desire to Rebuild

    No Patients Transported at Crematorium Fire

    Deathly Silence at Site of Crematorium Fire

    Crews Forced to Skull Drag Supply Line at Crematorium Fire

    Neighbors State That Complaints of Danger Fell Upon Death Ears

    Serial Arsonists Request For Cremation Honored by Department

    Medical Examiner States, “Smoke inhalation ruled out in funeral home fire, the victims all died of natural causes.”

  • Texas Gordo

    Crematorium Fire is Twice as Deadly

    Arson Victim Burned in Crematorium Fire

    Crematorium Fire Leads to 15 Minutes of Flame for Fire Department

    Ash Can Fire Requires 2nd Alarm

    Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Crematorium Fire Strikes Funeral Home

    Rekindle at Site of Crematorium Fire

    Arson Not Ruled Out in Crematorium Fire: Suspect Maintains Deathly Silence

    Owner of Crematorium Has Burning Desire to Rebuild

    No Patients Transported at Crematorium Fire

    Deathly Silence at Site of Crematorium Fire

    Crews Forced to Skull Drag Supply Line at Crematorium Fire

    Neighbors State That Complaints of Danger Fell Upon Death Ears

    Serial Arsonists Request For Cremation Honored by Department

    Medical Examiner States, “Smoke inhalation ruled out in funeral home fire, the victims all died of natural causes.”

  • Texas Gordo

    Chief states, “Fire Fighters Kept Their Heads at Crematorium Fire, Same Can’t Be Said of Victims”

    Medical Examiner First on Scene at Crematorium Fire

    Crematorium Didn’t Have Working Smoke Detector

    Chief states, “Death Toll Surprisingly Low in Crematorium Fire”

    Truck Company Forced to Return Victims to Crematorium Fire

    Chief states, “Fire Was Hellish in Nature”

    Salvage Covers Not Needed in Crematorium Fire

    Aggressive ALS Protocols Unable to Save Victims of Crematorium Fire

    Autopsy Reveals That Victims of Crematorium Fire Died From Previous Autopsy

    Crematorium Fire Almost Deadly for Victims of Fatal Car Crash

    Department’s Response to Crematorium Fire Has Funeral Director Hot Under the Collar

  • Texas Gordo

    Chief states, “Fire Fighters Kept Their Heads at Crematorium Fire, Same Can’t Be Said of Victims”

    Medical Examiner First on Scene at Crematorium Fire

    Crematorium Didn’t Have Working Smoke Detector

    Chief states, “Death Toll Surprisingly Low in Crematorium Fire”

    Truck Company Forced to Return Victims to Crematorium Fire

    Chief states, “Fire Was Hellish in Nature”

    Salvage Covers Not Needed in Crematorium Fire

    Aggressive ALS Protocols Unable to Save Victims of Crematorium Fire

    Autopsy Reveals That Victims of Crematorium Fire Died From Previous Autopsy

    Crematorium Fire Almost Deadly for Victims of Fatal Car Crash

    Department’s Response to Crematorium Fire Has Funeral Director Hot Under the Collar

  • boogadeeman

    Some of those headlines are funny as “hell”. But on a serious note, a single firefighter to a automatic fire alarm? And then not get ahold of a key owner to gain access without causing damage or forcing door would have been alot less than what occurred.

  • boogadeeman

    Some of those headlines are funny as “hell”. But on a serious note, a single firefighter to a automatic fire alarm? And then not get ahold of a key owner to gain access without causing damage or forcing door would have been alot less than what occurred.