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Gasoline Tanker Burns in South Carolina

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Driver Escapes Spectacular Blaze

A GASOLINE TANKER LITERALLY CRASHED AND BURNED in Anderson County, South Carolina, Tuesday morning.

Independent-Mail / Kelly

The truck was carrying 9,000 gals. of product when it drifted off the road around 10:20 am.  WYFF-TV tells what happened:

Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Bill Rhyne said the 2009 Kenworth tractor-trailer tanker driven by 46-year-old Jose Emilio Calderon of Easley. Calderon was wearing a seat belt, was injured and was taken to AnMed for treatment, Rhyne said.

Rhyne said the tanker truck was headed south on Shady Grove Road when for unknown reasons it ran off the left side of the road and then off the right side of the road, hitting a fence and a power pole.

The cab of the truck remained upright, while the tank turned on its side. Power lines came down on top of the tanker, igniting the fuel that was on board.

The driver was able to crawl out of the cab before it began burning and two neighbors ran over and dragged him to safety.

WSPA-TV provided some good raw video of the fire:

 

After the fire department had a foam supply on hand and set up, they had the fire knocked down in about 15 minutes.  About 4,000 gals. of gasoline was saved and it was later transferred to another truck.

Read more at WFYY-TV website HERE.
The Anderson Independent Mail has MORE.

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Posted by on February 8, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Haz-mat, HazMat, Videos • Tagged: ,

Challenging Containment in Ancient Town Center in Germany – 3 Rescues Included

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Old Buildings Wall-to-Wall

A DIFFICULT FIRE IN HECHINGEN, GERMANY, Monday evening destroyed a centuries-old home in the town center and heavily damaged four others before the firefighters could put a stop on it.  The ancient town is noted for its extremely narrow streets and alleys that are the only access to many of the buildings.

The fire alarm was sent at 4:45 pm and the Hechingen Feuerwehr found smoke showing from the top floor and three people trapped and waiting at windows for rescue.  While more engines and three additional aerials were being dispatched to the town, Hechingen's tower-ladder removed the two men at one of the windows and a 78-yr.-old woman who was at another 3rd-floor window.

The firefighters went to the upper floor to attack the fire, but the false ceilings began falling on them and the entire  circuit of live electric wiring dropped down on them causeing one to receive a heavy shock.  As the fire began running the attic and spreading to the neighboring structures, the fire commander ordered the fire building to be evacuated.  Extreme sub-freezing temperatures were also causing hose stream runoff to immediately freeze over.

This on-the-scene video report from TV24 includes some good fire footage:

 

With the arrival of help from other fire brigades, a perimeter was set up to contain  the fire which was then breaking through the roofs.  When it was put out several hours later, five buildings had been destroyed or heavily damaged.

Spray and runoff were immediately freezing over  (SWP)

The fire brigade remained on the scene through the night taking care of hot spots and daybreak saw the arrival of a crane to tear down the remains of the fire building and begin debris removal.  Investigators hope to be able to begin looking for the cause sometime today (Tuesday).

SWP

Full news reports are included in Schwarzwaelder HERE and SWP  HERE.

Thanks to Christian Lewalter of Feuerwehr Blog.

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Posted by on February 7, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, rescue, Rescues, Videos

Vacant Warehouse Fire in Vallejo Draws Crowd

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Four-Alarm Blaze Successfully Contained

A LARGE 4-STORY WAREHOUSE IN THE vacated former Mare Island Naval Station in Vallejo, California, burned down Sunday and the smoke plume drew spectators from around the entire San Pablo Bay area.

Vallejo Times-Herald

The supposedly-empty warehouse was already scheduled for demolition later this year, so after determining there was no life hazard, the FD operated a containment operation to protect the several other similar structures close to it.  The 70-yr.-old building is wood-frame construction and was well-involved and fast-moving when the FD arrived.

Times-Herald

Water supply on the unused tract is scant, so limited streams were available while the structure was allowed to burn out. 

NBC News

The fire began around 10 am and was pretty well knocked down by 12:30 pm, but the fire chief says that they expect it to smoulder for about two days.

San Francisco Channel 5 News filed this video report from the fire scene:

 

NBC News reported:

Smoke was visible to firefighters before they even reached the scene, and upon arrival they found the building was already 20 to 25 percent involved in flames, (Vallejo Fire Chief Paige)Meyer said.

The warehouse, owned by the City of Vallejo, is vacant and slated for demolition, but Meyer said there was a "possibility of homeless and squatters" inside.

Once firefighters determined the building was empty, however, they stepped back to a defensive position and focused on preventing the massive, fast-moving fire from spreading to neighboring buildings or vegetation.

Meyer described a hectic scene, with heavy smoke, strong winds and embers. "We had four by eight sheets of plywood flying through the air, so you can imagine the spectacular nature of the fire," Meyer said.

NBC also posted a good video report:

 

View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.

 

The Vallejo Times-Herald has additional video and the STORY.
The San Francisco Chronicle has MORE.

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Posted by on February 6, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: ,

3 FF’s Hurt, 1 Critical in Philly

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Sent to Burn Unit

A PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, FIREFIGHTER is in critical but stable condition Sunday after being injured during a rescue operation.  The fire in a rowhouse was reported just before 6 am and the arriving units found smoke showing and a report of people trapped inside.  CBS News continues:

Upon entering the home, firefighters rescued two people while two others escaped on their own. Three women and one child were taken to Hahnemann hospital for treatment and were in stable condition.

During the rescue, three firefighters were also injured. One firefighter is in critical but stable condition and was transferred to Temple Burn Center. The other two firefighters are in stable condition at Hahnemann.

WPVI-TV

After the rescue was complete, the B. C. evacuated all personnel and began outside operations.  The fire was marked under control at 7 am.

Fire officials noted that the house DID have working smoke detectors and credited that for helping prevent any life loss.  Investigators have not yet announced the cause of the fire.

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Posted by on February 5, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , , ,

Multi-Million-Dollar Townhouse Fire in London

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House Valued at £20 Million  ($26 Million)

A FASHIONABLE TOWNHOUSE IN THE MAYFAIR section of London, England, suffered a costly fire early Saturday morning.  The fire broke out around 5:30 am in the five-story mansion on one of the upper floors.  There were four people in the home at the time, however the owner was out of the country.  All of the occupants, including two servants were able to escape safely.

Press Association

Over 100 firefighters were sent to the narrow, dead-end street along with 20 engines and 3 aerial trucks to contain the fire.  When they arrived there was fire showing on the 4th and 5th floors and the roof.  They were able to contain the fire to the upper floors, but water running down the stairs and through the ceilings, along with the smoke, increased the damages considerably.  The servants at the home stayed on scene helping to remove the more valuable items from the house while the firefighting was in progress.

Press Association

There were no reports of any injuries from the fire.  There has been no report yet on the cause of the fire or the amount of damages.

The Georgian house was built in 1722 and has been renovated over the centuries, most recently in 2007, to maintain its high status.

BBC News has an early report HERE.
The Telegraph has MORE.

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Posted by on February 5, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: ,

Fire Takes Down Myrtle Beach Visitor Center

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Mid-Day Fire Destroys Building

A FRIDAY MORNING FIRE DESTROYED the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Festiva visitor center.  The fire was reported just before 10 am and when the first units from Horry County Fire Rescue arrived they had fire showing.

Herald photo

The fire apparently originated in the roof or attic because the employees in the center were unaware of the fire until passers-by started coming into the shop to alert them.

Herald

As of Friday afternoon there was not yet a determination on the cause of the fire.  There are several of these privately-operated visitor centers around the resort city.

The Herald has the story and a photo gallery HERE.

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Posted by on February 4, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires

Updated: Factory Burning in Pennsylvania

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Fire is Out

Updated, Noon:  Fire is out, but plant shut down temporarily.  Scroll down for update.

A WELL-KNOWN LOCAL CANDY MANUFACTURING company in Washington County, Pennsylvania, is burning this morning just south of Pittsburgh.  The Sarris Candy plant in Canonsburg caught fire in the ice cream portion of the factory around 7 am.  The first-arriving units found smoke coming from all the top-floor windows and roof vents in that wing and called a 2nd alarm.

WTAE-TV

KDKA-TV posted this early video taken from their helicopter:

 

The firefighters were able to contain the fire to that one section by surrounding it with hose streams and had it under control around an hour later.

There are apartments on the 2nd-floor above the ice cream parlor and all residents are believed to have escaped safely.

WTAE-TV

Sarris Candy is a favorite destination for western Pennsylvanians who visit the ice cream parlor and the candy store.  Sarris Candies are widely used for fundraising sales by schools and scout troops.

Update,  Noon Eastern:
WTAE-TV in an update tells,

Sarris said a significant amount of Easter candy was lost, but the building was not completely destroyed. He said they're trying to reopen the building's ice cream shop as soon as possible, and chocolate production should resume within a few days.

(Canonsburg Fire Chief Tom) Lawrence said there was minimal structure damage — most of it in the packaging area, where many boxes for the various chocolates were kept. He thinks the fire may have started in the furnace area, but the cause is still under investigation by a state police fire marshal.

The fire was contained mostly in the roof and the attic, concentrated at the ice cream end of the building.  No injuries were reported, either civilian or firefighter.  The state police fire investigator is on the scene.

WTAE-TV has additional video and more early details on the fire HERE.

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Posted by on February 3, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

Acetylene Ka-Boom Injures Junkyard Worker, Starts Fire

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It Just Rolled Out of a Junked Car

AN AUTOMOBILE JUNK YARD NEAR HONOLULU, Hawai'i, was the scene of an explosion and fire Tuesday afternoon.

KHON-TV

When an operator of the yard excavator rolled over a car to be picked up, an acetylene cylinder rolled out breaking the valve.  As the leak began, a spark ignited the gas and it exploded.  The excavator operater was burned and had to be transported to the hospital in serious condition.

The explosion started a fire in the junkyard that involved a pile of tires and sent a column of thick smoke up that could be seen for miles away.  The Honolulu Fire Department responded and had the fire out in about an hour.  Damage is estimated at $300,000.

KHON-TV Ch. 2 has more in their story HERE.  They also filed this video report:

 

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Posted by on February 1, 2012 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: ,

Costly Blaze Destroys Boat Storage Facility in Germany

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Loss Extends Into the Millions

A LARGE PLEASURE BOAT STORAGE building burned out Monday night and Tuesday morning near Hamburg, Germany.  The blaze consumed at least 50 private cruisers and an undisclosed number of "vintage" cars that were also stored in the 13,000 sq. ft. hall.

Bergedorfer Zeitung

The fire was discovered at 8:30 pm Monday night by a man who was in the hall working on his own boat when he saw the flames rising from another craft.  He tried to put the incipient fire out himself, but the flames were too large and growing.  After singing his hair and gettiing a dose of smoke inhalation, he had to leave.

Bergedorfer Zeitung

More than 180 firefighters with nine companies and a fireboat responded to the incident at the GTS Boat Storage building that has been there for 16 years.  The fire aided by exploding gasoline tanks consumed the entire premises that contained mostly high-value yachts. 

Bergedorfer Zeitung

Also lost were many trailers, a tractor and the crane used to lift and move the boats.  The fire brigades used a large quantity of foam in the extinguishment that required them to cut holes in the sides of the all-metal building to get their hose streams on the fire.

Bergedorfer Zeitung

The Bergedorfer Zeitung has the story and more photos HERE.

Thanks to Christian Lewalter, Feuerwehr Weblog.

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Posted by on February 1, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: ,

Industrial Fire Raging in London

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Extent of Area Involved Not Yet Known

A LARGE, SMOKY FIRE IN A WEST LONDON, England, industrial center is still burning.  The fire in the the Shepherd's Bush section of the city is burning through a former dairy complex that is now filled with multiple occupancies.  The smoke from the fire can be seen throughout the entire, large city.

BBC News

The fire brigade, concerned with the strong probablility of compressed gas cylinders being exposed, has set up a safety cordon around the area.

The fire was dispatched at 9:35 GMT Tuesday morning and has 15 engines and 75 firefighters on the scene.  The UK Press Association reports:

Station manager Rod Horton, who is at the scene, said: "The fire is affecting a range of industrial buildings on the dairy site. It's a challenging and developing incident at the moment and we're likely to be at the scene for some time."

An ambulance and a hazardous area response team is in attendance but a London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said no-one has been reported hurt. More than 100 people have been evacuated from the Unigate factory complex, according to a local petrol station worker Rashid Ansari.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known. A spokeswoman for Dairycrest said the company sold the building in 2002, but she did not know who bought it.

The incident is still working at the time of this posting.

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Posted by on January 31, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: ,

Arizona Ka-Boom Destroys Two Homes

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Police Quickly Class it Suspicious

A DEVASTATING EXPLOSION LEVELED A CHANDLER, Arizona, house late Sunday night and caused enough damage to the home next door that it was destroyed also.

KTVK / AzAce

The withering blast that was felt up to two miles away immediately pulverized the house that had nobody in it at the time.  The resident who was not at home was located later this morning and he confirmed that there should be nobody in the house or its debris.

The police soon declared that the incident was "suspicious" based on some early evidence that they had, coupled with the fact that the home did not have any sort of gas service to it.

KTVK / Roscoe

AZCentral News filed this video report from the scene:

 

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KTVK

Phoenix Channel 3 has filed this updated report just before 1 pm Eastern:

 

A full investigation is underway including agents from ATF.  Already the investigators are telling the press that the explosion was intentional and not an accident.

KTVK-TV has more details, videos and a photo gallery HERE.

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Posted by on January 30, 2012 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Florida Brush Fire Smoke Leads To Multiple Highway Deaths

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Fiery Crashes Kill at Least 10

A MIXTURE OF MORNING FOG AND SMOKE FROM A BRUSH FIRE caused zero-visibility conditions on I-75 south of Gainesville, Florida, Sunday morning.  Within minutes after 3:30 am a series of chain collisions began in both the northbound and southbound lanes of the Interstate highway with many of the vehicles catching on fire and burning up. 

Gainesville Sun

The Associated Press tells:

Steven R. Camps, 23, of Gainesville, said traffic stopped along the northbound lanes because of heavy smoke and fog. "You couldn't see anything. People were pulling off the road," he said.

Camps said he and his friend began talking to a man in the car stopped next to them about the road conditions, when another vehicle hit the man's car.  Camps said the man's vehicle was crushed under a semi-truck stopped in front of them. Camps said his car was hit twice, but he and his friend were able to jump out. They took cover in the grass on the shoulder of the road.

"You could hear cars hitting each other. People were crying. People were screaming. It was crazy," he said. "If I could give you an idea of what it looked like, I would say it looked like the end of world."

Gainesville Sun

He said cars and trucks were on fire and they could hear explosions as the vehicles burned.

"It was happening on both sides of the road, so there was nowhere to go. It blew my mind," he said. "It was like a war zone. It literally looked like someone was picking up cars and throwing them."

Gainsville Sun

The State Police told the press that when the first police, fire and EMS units began arriving, the smoke was so thick that they had to proceed on foot and head toward the moans and screams of the victims to locate them.

Fox News reports that photographs of the scene revealed a gruesome aftermath, with twisted, burned-out vehicles scattered across the pavement and smoke still rising above the wreckage. Cars appeared to have smashed into the big rigs and, in one case, a motor home. Some cars were crushed beneath the heavier trucks.

Reporters who were allowed to view the site saw one tractor-trailer that was burned down to its skeleton, charred pages of books and magazines in its cargo area. Bodies were still visible inside a burned-out Grand Prix. The rubber on the tires of every vehicle had burned away, leaving only steel belts.

Gainesville Sun

State police estimated that wreckage was strewn for nearly a mile in both directions.

The Gainesville Sun has the story and a 67-image photo gallery HERE.

Fox News provided some raw video of the aftermath:

 

Several dead in multiple crashes on I-75: MyFoxORLANDO.com

Hat tip to Mark D.

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Posted by on January 29, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, rescue, Rescues • Tagged: , ,

Distraught Man Crashes Truck Into Loading Bay, Starts Fires in Warehouse in Illinois

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Building's Sprinklers Saved the Business

A TROUBLED TRUCK DRIVER CRASHED HIS RIG through a bay door at his company's headquarters in Edwardsville, Illinois, early Saturday morning where he then started several fires while brandishing a handgun.  During his exploit he held several dozens of police officers and SWAT team at bay for about ten hours before he turned the gun on himself and commited suicide.

The business is the Schneider National Operating/Training Center, the training facility for the large, national trucking company.

Google Satellite View of the Schneider National Trucking facility

The Alton Telegraph reports:

At about 2:08 a.m. Saturday, (Roger) Adams, 51, drove his rig onto the parking lot of Schneider-National and crashed into a loading dock area. The initial crash set off fire alarms at the business, which sparked a massive response by dozens of fire and police personnel across Madison County.

The truck's cab suffered fire damage, as did the exterior of the loading dock. Police said Adams set the cab on fire with an accelerant, which set off a fire alarm and activated the garage area's sprinkler system.

Adams set three fires in an office area of the business, police said. The sprinkler system extinguished the fires, police said.

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According to an Edwardsville Police Department press release, at 11:50 a.m. officers used tear gas to get Adams to surrender, and a short time after the gas was released Adams shot himself in the head with a small-caliber handgun after telling police of his intent to shoot himself.

After hearing the gunshot, the ILEAS task force secured the scene and paramedics tended to Adams.

KMOV-TV filed this good video report from the scene:

 

During the extended seige, police visited Adams' house where they found grafitti painted on his door and wall, along with a small fire in the back yard that had burned out.

A large fire-rescue task force was assemble near the site along with a haz-mat team and were held on standby for the 10 hours duration.  A special negotiator was brought in to talk with Adams, but the driver decided to shoot himself in the head with his small-calibre pistol.  The paramedics worked on him and kept him alive until they could get Adams on a helicopter when he was flown to a St. Louis hospital where, at last report, he is on a life-support system.

The Alton Telegraph has a good, detailed description of the entire incident HERE.

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Posted by on January 29, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

High Death Count in Lima, Peru, Clinic Fire

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At Least 26 Deaths So Far

A FIRE IN A DRUG REHABILITATION CLINIC IN LIMA, PERU, Saturday morning has claimed more than two dozen lives with 10 known injuries.

RPP TV

The fire began around 9 am local time when the 40 patients were in their rooms eating breakfast at the God Is Love clinic.  All of the doors to the facility were locked and they were trapped inside as the fire raced through the clinic located in a densely-populated area of the capital city.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known, but officials were saying that they believe it started in a mattress in a 2nd-floor room.

Nuevo Ojo

Local sources say that the God is Love clinic seeks to treat drug addicts through Biblical teachings.

Diario Correo reports further:

Witnesses say that the fire was started when one of the patients set fire to a mattress during a brawl in the rooms.  Most of the injured were suffering from major burns, many fatally.

More than 15 volunteer fire companies were on the scene fighting the blaze.

There is not further information currently.  The fire scene is still working and investigation is just beginning.

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Posted by on January 28, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , , ,

Downtown Fire in France

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Challenging Fire Due to Building Conditions

A major fire broke out in the main shopping center in downtown Annecy, France, on Tuesday afternoon around 3:30 pm.

Le Dauphine

The fire began in a 2nd-floor apartment in a 3-story plus attic building and spread through the entire building for total destruction and into the building next door for additional damage.  Despite the high density of construction and occupancies, the fire department was able to keep the fire from spreading to any other buildings.

FALCO

There were no injuries, but 11 apartments were destroyed along with the shops on the ground floor.

Fifty firefighters were working the fire and had it contained by 7 pm. Extinguishment was slow because of the condition of the floors and roof that were threatening to collapse. It is expected that the remains of the building will have to be completely torn down and all rebuilt.

An amateur video was posted:

 

The fire was listed as accidental.

Le Dauphine has the STORY.

Posted by on January 27, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos

Surprise Garage Collapse Injures 3 Firefighters

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It's Never "Just a Garage Fire"

EARLIER THIS WEEK THREE CalFire FIREFIGHTERS were injured at a garage fire in Indio when the roof unexpectedly collapsed on them.

KPSP-TV

The cas was dispatched at 7:18 am on Tuesday when the fire was discovered in a 3-car garage attached to a house.  The first units arriving found fire showing when they arrived and began attacking the blaze while the rest of the 40 firefighters were arriving.  Five residents of the house got out safely, including an 81-yr.-old woman who was confused in the excitement.

The Desert Sun newspaper tells us, it took firefighters about an hour to control the fire, which destroyed the home’s three-car garage and spread into the attic, causing $50,000 in damage, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. Crews kept the fire from reaching the rooms of the home below.  It was while the CalFire-Indio firefighters were knocking down the main fire in the garage that the roof suddenly collapsed on them.

Desert Sun / Chatham

KPSP-TV reported:  Firefighter Tom "T.J." Frazier, 32, was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center and was recovering from surgery for a tibia/fibula fracture. Paramedic/firefighter Michael Lambert, 31, was taken to JFK Memorial Hospital and was treated and released for a concussion and neck injury. Paramedic/firefighter Mike Vera, 30, was also transported to Desert Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and released for a concussion.

KESQ-TV has more details HERE.

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Posted by on January 27, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , , , ,

Murder – Suicide by Arson Kills Family of Four in Germany

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Police Still Investigating

 AN APARTMENT FIRE FRIDAY MORNING in Langenfeld, Germany, left a family of four dead and a police investigation into the suspicious fire.

When the firefighters arrived they found a fire largely contained to the small apartment on the top floor over a commercial occupancy and knocked it down quickly.  But the smoke had been thick and when the firefighters looked through the apartment they found the bodies of a 34-yr.-old man, his wife, 33, and their two children ages 1 and 5.

DPA photo

Initial investigation quickly revealed that the fire had been set and not an accident.  Suspicion fell on the father after a neighbor found a note in their letterbox left by the dead man along with his car keys.  The note said "all is explained" referring to a suicide note that he had left in the car.  The police are currently working on the theory that the father had first killed his family members, the set the fire before he took his own life.

NRW posted this video report:

 

None of the people in the other apartments in the building were injured and only smoke damage was done outside the fire unit.

Suddeutsche has the STORY.

Hat tip:  Christian Lewalter

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Posted by on January 27, 2012 • Filed under: arson, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires • Tagged: , , ,

Chicago Fire Claims 2 Children Behind Locked Door

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Self-Closing Door Prevents Rescue

A CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, WOMAN WAS PUT THROUGH an ordeal early Tuesday morning when she was prevented from saving her two children from a fire because of a locked door.

The fire started around 3:15 am Central this morning (Tuesday) and the mother of three was awakened somehow, alerted to the fire.  She grabbed her 6-year-old son who was closest and took him out the front door of their apartment.  But the self-closing and locking door slammed shut behind her, preventing her from returning to the apartment to snatch the other two youngsters ages 3 and 1 yrs.

WMAQ-TV photo

A police officer who was first on the scene and a passing tow-truck driver tried to break in the door and when they were finally successful, the fire and heat in the apartment prevented their entry.

WLS-TV Ch. 7 filed this early video report:

 

The two victims were in the same bedroom and apparently died from the smoke as there was not burning in the bedroom.  Their mother is in the hospital in serious condition from smoke inhalation, but the 6-yr.-old boy was uninjured.  The apartment had smoke detectors and it is believed that they were working, but not confirmed.

WBBM-TV has a recently updated report with more information and additional video HERE.

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Posted by on January 24, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Red-Light Runner Burns Down Detroit House

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Passerby Hero Saves One Passenger

AN AUTOMOBILE CARRYING THREE PEOPLE ran a red light at speed Sunday afternoon around 3 pm, clipped another car and then careened out of control into a house.  As the car crashed through a front bedroom, it tore off a gas meter which led to an immediate ignition and the fire moved into the house within seconds.

All the residents were fortunate to be at the rear of the building during the crash, but less fortunate because they lost everything they owned as the interior of the house was gutted.

WXYZ-TV has this video report that includes some fire footage:

 

Other people already out in the neighborhood rushed to the car to help the occupants.  They were able to cut the seat belt and pull the front-seat passenger to safety, but were unable to free the driver and had to go through the ordeal of watching him burn to death.  The third passenger bolted and ran away.

WJBK-TV has a good interview with the man who saved the passenger's life:

 

Car Hits House in Detroit, Causes Fire: MyFoxDETROIT.com

WDIV-TV has more details and additional video HERE.

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Posted by on January 23, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

22 Show Horses Killed in Barn Fire

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Non-Suspicious Blaze Sweeps Barn

A SUSSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, HORSE FARM was devastated Saturday morning when a fire swept through a horse barn killing 22 horses.  The animals were all worth "tens of thousands" of dollars each at the Heritage Acres Farm in Lafayette.

Sometime around 1:30 am a neighbor called the owners to tell them that their barn was on fire, but by the time the first fire units arrived it was fully involved.  The building was about 300 ft. long containing an indoor show arena with stalls inside and was built 20 years ago.  There was no hay or fuel stored in the barn, so the cause is puzzling.  The entire metal building collapsed and was destroyed.  The fire marshal has ruled out arson for reasons he did not disclose.

Benko / Star-Ledger

The Star-Ledger reports:  The horses that were stabled at Heritage Acres placed in competitions up and down the East Coast over the decades, with an eclectic mix of dressage, reining and jumper horses. (Owner Betty) Hahn estimated most of the show horses were valued between $10,000 and $60,000 apiece.

The Hahns who are in their 70's did not have insurance on the barn itself.   "We’re just going to sell our property. It was our business and we’re too old to start over," Betty Hahn said.

The Star-Ledger has the updated report from the fire marshal HERE.
The New York Times has more details HERE.

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Posted by on January 22, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: ,

Reno Wildfire Fully Contained

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Total of 29 Homes Destroyed

THE WIND-WHIPPED GRASS FIRE THAT took out more than six square miles in just over two days near Reno, Nevada,has been fully contained according to the fire officials.  Aiding the containment was a 2-inch rainfall that dumped on the area early Saturday.

Fox News

The blaze sprung up Thursday and was blown up by 80+ mph winds, but was finally controlled after 400 firefighters were rushed to the area.  At least 29 homes were destroyed and the body of a 93-yr.-old woman was found in a small apartment next to her daughter's home afterward.  It is not yet known if her death was related to the fire or not.

An unidentified elderly man voluntarily came forward Saturday and disclosed that he had accidentally started the fire by not disposing of his fireplace ashes properly.  The police describe him as "extremely remorseful" and the local prosecutor has not decided whether to charge him.

The Associated Press filed this post-fire video report:

 

The AP also has this late REPORT.

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Posted by on January 22, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Wildland • Tagged: , , ,

House Fire Claims Two Young Girls in Maryland

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Early Morning House Fire

TWO SISTERS AGES 7 AND 10 PERISHED IN a house fire Friday morning in Cumberland, Maryland.

Times-News photo

The Cumberland Times-News is reporting that the 10-yr.-old girl was in cardiac arrest when the firefighters found her and carried her out.  The younger sister was unable to be located and found later after the fire was knocked down.  The mother and her 7-month-old infant escaped the fire.

The rowhouse fire was reported at 6:05 am and went to four alarms bringing over 100 FF's to the scene.  Five houses were damaged in the fire.

WHAG-TV

Investigation into the cause and origin of the fire are continuing.

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Posted by on January 20, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires

LODD – New Jersey

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Unwitnessed Arrest Delayed Treatment

BRUCE TURCOTTE, 58, FIREFIGHTER AND FORMER CHIEF of the Hopelawn, New Jersey, Volunteer Fire Department passed away Thursday on the scene of a fatal house fire in Woodbridge.  It was later determined that he had a heart attack while operating a pumper and died at the scene.

Star-Ledger file photo

The citizen who found him related her story to the Woodbridge Patch:

She parked her car a distance away, and saw firefighters scurrying to and fro, aiming fire hoses at the thick black clouds of smoke that obliterated the house from view.

That was when Sweeney passed one of the fire engines that, she thought, for a moment had a mannequin in the driver's seat. "That's strange. It's not real. The color is so odd," she thought for a moment.

"I almost wanted to touch him to see if he was real," she said, but in a second that thought fled as she worked her way to some of the firemen whose sole attention was on battling the blaze in front of them.

Sweeney pointed to the engine, hidden behind an ambulance whose EMS workers were treating some firefighters overcome by the smoke. "There's a man in there. He looks unconscious," she said.

The firemen looked at one another and in seconds, they had located Turcotte, dragged his body from the cab of the fire engine, and were furiously working to revive him.

Sweeney stepped back and watched in horror.

"They didn't know [that he was injured.] You couldn't see him from where they were fighting the fire. The ambulance blocked it. You had to be where I was," she said.

Star-Ledger

During the fire a body was discovered in the basement.  Neighbors identified him as the former resident who had been evicted in November by a foreclosure notice.  They believe he had been surreptitiously living in the house since then.

The Star-Ledger has more details HERE.
The Woodbridge Patch has MORE.

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Posted by on January 20, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Line of Duty • Tagged: , , , ,

3 Young Children Die in House Fire

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Family Tragedy in Germany

A FAMILY IN AACHEN, GERMANY, WAS DEVASTATED Wednesday afternoon when a fire ripped through their semi-detached house and burned alive three of their six children.  The two parents and their 1-yr.-old son came out of the house but were unable to get to the other three who were trapped.

dpa

As smoke filled the house, anxious neighbors tried to get inside and go to the aid of the three, but lacking information on where they were located coupled with the heavy smoke conditions, they failed to reach them.  The victims' ages, all boys, were 2, 4, and 6 years.  Two older siblings, a boy, 8, and a girl, 9, were in school at the time and also survived.

After interviews and investigation, the police determined that the fire started in a second floor bedroom when the 3 boys were playing with matches or a lighter and set the bedding on fire.  As the fire grew, the youngsters fled the room but instead of going downstairs they went up into an attic room where they became trapped and nobody knew where they were.  The father tried to get upstairs with a fire extinguisher to rescue them, but he was overcome by the smoke and barely escaped himself.  He was hospitalized for the smoke poisoning.

 

Aachen is located close to the Belgian border.

Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger has the full STORY.
WDR has more HERE.
AFP has an updated report HERE.

Thanks to Christian Lewalter of FWNetz.

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Posted by on January 20, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: ,

Nevada Brush Fire Claims 27 Homes

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Severe Weather a Major Factor

A BRUSH FIRE THAT SPRUNG UP around noon Pacific near Reno, Nevada, on Thursday has raced through six square miles and burned at least 27 homes so far.  The fire was beyond control most of the day because of 80+ mph winds whipping it along.

Reuters / Glover

Firefighters working all night have temporarily halted the progress of the front line of the fire which was traveling directly toward Reno.  Early this morning the fire bosses said that the fire has been 50% contained, but they could lose that edge if the high winds continue.

MSNBC has posted this brief home video that captures some of the fast destruction:

 

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More than 10,000 people had been evacuated from the threatened area, however all but 2,000 have been allowed to return home.

Some fire crews from California were dispatched to help, but the storm has dumped a heavy snowfall closing the Donner Pass forcing them to turn around and return.  A light rainfall during the night has created some hope for the firefighters that they will be able to get ahead of the fire.

The Associated Press via KNRV-TV has some more raw video:

 

The state of emergency is still in effect at the time of this posting.  The story will be updated when appropriate.

 

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Posted by on January 20, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos, Wildland • Tagged: , ,