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Condo Ka-Boom Kills Vengeful Bomber

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Hours Away From Being Evicted

A RECLUSIVE PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, MAN who was scheduled to be evicted from his apartment Thursday foiled the sheriff by blowing up his unit early in the morning.  Mark Williams, 60, was found dead in his 5th-floor apartment after the blast shook the entire 9-story building and started a fire that extended into other units and filled the entire building with thick smoke.

WTAE-TV

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports:

Investigators believe Williams uncapped the gas line to his stove, causing an explosion about 7:15 a.m. when the fumes reached an ignition source, such as a space heater or other appliance, fire Chief Darryl Jones said.

"I woke when I heard an explosion that shook the walls," said Tom Korpar, 24, a second-year dental student at the University of Pittsburgh. "My kitchen wall, which shared his kitchen wall, was blown in. I could see right into his kitchen. I guess I was lucky. I slept in today, otherwise I would have been right there in the kitchen, cooking eggs."

The blast cracked an exterior wall of the building, but an engineer said the damage was cosmetic, Jones said. The fire and blast damaged 126 of the complex's 191 units.

KDKA-TV

Williams, who was described by his neighbors as, "reclusive," "hard to know," and "troubled" had been involved in a 15-year legal battle with his homeowners association of his refusal to pay his condo fees.  After the dues and interest grew to an outlandish total, the HA was able to get a judge to order a sheriff's sale of the unit and Williams was scheduled to be evicted Thursday.

The Tribune-Review has the details HERE.

The nature of the call and the occupancy led to a quick elevation of the dispatch to 7 alarms as firefighters scrambled to get to the approx. 200 occupants still inside with the building filled with smoke.

KDKA-TV filed this video report:

 

Williams was the only fatality and the only injuries reported were for a few people affected by smoke inhalation.

Hat tip:  Mark Donovan.

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Posted by on March 22, 2013 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, rescue, Rescues • Tagged: ,

Updated: LODD X 2 – Texas

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Trapped Under Roof Collapse

Update:  2nd Firefighter dies from injuries.  Scroll down.

A BRYAN, TEXAS, FIRE LIEUTENANT ERIC WALLACE. 36, perished early this morning at a commercial fire when the roof collapsed, trapping him and seriously burning three other firefighters.  The accident happened around midnight while Lt. Wallace and another firefighter were doing a primary search (unconfirmed) and the roof came down.  The other FF was able to escape, but Wallace was trapped under the debris.

An R.I.T. of three went in to attempt to rescue the lieutenant, but the heat and flames were so intense that they were stymied and severely burned.  A second RIT was then sent in and they were able to reach the downed firefighter, but too late.  They were able to bring him out.

KVUE-TV

The three burned FF's were Lt. Greg Pickard, 54; Firefighter Ricky Mantey Jr., 30; and Probationary Firefighter Mitch Moran, 21. They were taken by helicopter from the scene to medical facilities for treatment of burns.  Wallace had been a member of the department for 13 years. He is survived by his wife, Brandi, and five children. Pickard served with the department for 32 years. Mantey had been with the department for five years, and Moran for 10 months.

Update, 6 pm Central:  2nd Firefighter dies.
KTRK-TV and other sources are reporting that Fire Lt. Gregory Pickard, 54, died between 4:30pm and 5:30pm Central at UTMB in Galveston due to burn wounds and smoke inhalation.  Lt. Pickard was leading the R.I.T. that first attempted to reach Lt. Wallace.

Lt. Greg Pickard

The fire was discovered by a passerby around 11:30 pm and the first-in units found fire showing.  The building, which was not occupied at the time, was a Kinghts of Columbus hall that did not have any activites scheduled for last night.  As you might expect, any new information will be closely held until the investigation is completed.

KTRK-TV

FirefighterNation has more details and four videos including raw fire footage HERE.

KTRK-TV Ch. 13 Houston prepared this video report:

 

The news release issued by the City of Bryan is HERE.

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Posted by on February 16, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Line of Duty, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

Granny, 3 Grandkids Die in House Fire

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Investigation Centers on Christmas Tree

THREE YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR Grandmother perished Thursday evening in a house fire in the Ft. Worth, Texas, suburb of Haltom City.  A neighbor spotted smoke coming from a broken 2nd-floor window and called in the alarm around 5 pm.  Firefighters found the house charged with smoke and began a full search.

Just inside the 2nd-story window they found the adult and on the first floor in the front room near a Christmas tree they found the three children

Channel 11 News posted this video report from the scene:

 

After that video was posted, it was learned that the adult was a 52-yr.old female, the grandmother of the three children whose ages were 2-months, 3- and 5-years.

The fire apparently originated in the area where a Christmas tree was still installed and unconfirmed reports say that the FF's  found a lighter in the area.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram had more details HERE.
NBC5 has MORE.

 

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

 

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Posted by on January 11, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

17 Dead in Dormitory Fire in Philippines

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All Employees of Clothing Store

A FIRE BROKE OUT IN A BUTUAN, PHILIPPINES, CLOTHING STORE Wednesday morning that killed 17 of the 20 or so employees who also live there.  The victims, all women, were asleep in the top-floor dormitory of the 3-story building that houses the retail business.

AP / Mascarinas

The fire started just before 4 am local time and burned for five hours.  The city of 300,000 has a very limited fire protection service.

The Associated Press is reporting:

Three women managed to dash out of a burning room and groped their way down three floors in darkness but found that the main steel door in the building in downtown Butuan city was locked, police investigator Jonathan Basil said.

Bystanders used a hydraulic car jack to pry open the gate and pulled the three screaming women out from the burning lobby, Basil said.

"The women kept on pounding the hot steel gate while yelling for help," Basil told The Associated Press by telephone, adding that the employee who kept the door key perished in the room upstairs.

Mylene Tulo, one of three who escaped, said she woke up as the fire spread rapidly in the third-floor room where they slept. She managed to dash out with two colleagues. All three sustained minor burns on their arms.

AFP

All 17 victims were burned beyond immediate recognition and the authorities will be seeking dental records and family members for DNA samples to eventually identify those lost.  The possibility exists of finding still more vicitms before the day is out.

AP / Mascarinas

The building was originally a theater that has since been partitioned off into several retail shops including the clothing store where the fire started.  The cause is unknown and the local official designated to declare that a short circuit started it has not arrived on the scene yet.

The Telegraph has more HERE.

AP / Mascarinas

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Posted by on May 9, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Mass Casualty Incident, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Rooming House Owner Charged With Manslaughter in Fatal Blaze

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Four Perished in 2010 Fire

A PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, WOMAN was arraigned in state court Monday following an indictment handed down in January by a grand jury charging her with four counts of manslaughter.  Florence Brown, 63, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was given until May 11 to post a $25,000 cash bond or be incarcerated until her trial.

Florence Brown  (The Record)

On June 10, 2010, a fire swept through her 3-story home that had been divided into separate rental units housing nine people.  Firegeezer posted a video report at the time HERE where we reported:

When firefighters arrived the wood-frame house was already well involved with many residents outside the house. The fire was spreading to the house next door and threatening the home on the other side. Before the fire was fully contained, the house of origin collapsed, completely destroyed. The second house suffered severe damages and the third house only superficial fire damage.

Two people leapt from 3rd-floor windows to escape the flames, with one of them dying immediately from the fall and the second in critical condition from multi-trauma injuries as a result of the plunge. Later, three bodies were recovered from the ruins of the house. It was not immediately known how many residents lived in the several rooms that were rented out. The owner escaped, and it was disclosed that she had been issued several fire code violations in recent months.

AP

Reporting on yesterday's court action, John Petrick of the North Jersey Record writes:

The charges arise out of an investigation conducted by the Arson Unit of the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, as well as the Paterson Police Department and the Paterson Fire Department. The fire occurred about 4 a.m. in the basement of the three-story house Brown owned. The fire was caused by an electrical overload because of faulty wiring, authorities have said.

Two outlets and two power strips supplied electricity to three floors of the rooming house, residents of the building had said at the time.

The building had been cited for code violations in January 2010 — six months before the fatal fire — when firefighters who were dispatched to investigate a defective boiler found exposed wires and uncovered electrical panels in the basement. A fire inspector warned in a report that unless the violations were corrected, a "future mishap" could ensue. A follow-up inspection on May 20 of that year found some of the same problems.

Read the full story in The Record HERE.
Review the Firegeezer video report from June 2010 HERE.

Hat tip:  Rick G.

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Posted by on May 1, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Law & Justice • Tagged: , , ,

LODD – Tennessee

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Roof Collapse

A PRE-DAWN FIRE IN DECATUR COUNTY, TENNESSEE, Saturday claimed the life of the District 3 Fire Chief, Kenny Fox.

Fire Chief Kenny Fox

The Jackson Sun reports:

Kenny Fox, fire chief of District 3 in Decaturville and sergeant for the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, died Saturday morning after saving the lives of two other volunteer firefighters by pushing them out of the way before a roof collapsed in a fire.

Decatur County Sheriff Roy Wyatt said the call for the fire came in around 4:24 a.m. Saturday from the Oak Hill Cafe Bar and Grill on U.S. 412, west of Parsons. He said the firefighters arrived on the scene at 4:45 a.m. Wyatt said the roof collapsed on Fox.

The two firefighters that he pushed to safety are brothers.  Jeremy and Randy Inman were taken to Decatur County General Hospital and then later transferred to the burn unit at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville for treatment to 3rd-degree burns that both suffered.

Channel 5 News prepared this video report:

 

Chief Fox was age 39 and is survived by his wife and three sons.  One of his sons, age 19, was also working the fire and remained until his father was located and removed from the destroyed building.

Jackson Sun

The restaurant was a total loss and the investigation into the cause and results is continuing.

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Posted by on April 8, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fire Rescue Topics, labor, Line of Duty, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , ,

LODD – Wisconsin

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Roof Collapse Traps Four FF's

A MID-DAY FIRE IN AN ABBOTSFORD, Wisconsin, movie theater Sunday afternoon led to the death of a Colby FD firefighter when the snow-laden roof collapsed as the crews were evacuating the building. 

Abbotsford Fire Chief Apfelbeck addresses the media  (WEAU-TV image)

The owner of the Abbey Theater had gone to the site at 10:30 am and fired up the furnace to begin warming the building for the matinee showing.  After he did that, he left to return home for a while but got a call around noon that his theater was on fire.

About 35 firefighters from four FD's responded to the 63-yr.-old theater where they found a fire well in progress inside.  Initially, hose lines were taken inside to attack the fire but it was to far advanced to knock it down.  Abbotsford Fire Chief Jody Apfelbeck told the press there was "a lot of heat and a lot of smoke" and he had just ordered the crews to evacuate when the roof came down trapping three Colby firefighters and one from Abbotsford underneath.

Three of them were transported by ambulance to the hospital and the fourth was airlifted out.  Later Sunday afternoon the Clark County coroner confirmed that one of the firefighters had died from his injuries.  His name has not been released yet, but the fire chief did confirm that he was with the Colby FD.

WEAU-TV posted this video report Sunday evening:

 

The fire was knocked down by 3 pm, but crews remained on the scene for several more hours working the hot spots.  Later in the afternoon the FD had the remains of the front wall torn down for safety reasons.  The theater is a total loss.

This report will be updated later today as more information is released.

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Posted by on March 5, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Line of Duty, 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: , , ,

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: , , ,

Retired Volunteer FF Perishes in House Fire

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First-In Found Him Right Away, But Was Too Late

A 75-YR.-OLD FORMER FIREFIGHTER in Battle Creek, Michigan, died in his home Sunday morning when a fire swept through his house.

Battle Creek Enquirer

John Tenney was found in his wheelchair in the living room of the house by a police public safety officer who arrived right after the call came in.  Unfortunately it was too late to save Tenney who was already dead.  A neighbor reported seeing smoke coming from the house around 7:25 am and called in the alarm.  Tenney had been temporarily disabled following knee replacement surgery.

WOOD-TV Ch. 8 filed this video report:

 

The fire is believed to have started in the basement and is not considered to be suspicious.  The house is a total loss with the interior completely gutted and some floors collapsed.

The Battle Creek Enquirer has the full story including a description of the rescue attempt by his friend HERE.

John Tenney pictured in 2010

Mr. Tenney was locally known as a long-time midget race car driver who raced for 27 years and was inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

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Posted by on November 7, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

3 Family Members Perish in Mysterious RV Fire

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Father and Two Young Children Found Dead in Burned-Out Motor Home

A FATHER AND HIS TWO CHILDREN FROM WOODBURY, MINNESOTA, were found in a burned-out motor home near the entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Monday.

KARE-TV

The RV had pulled over on the shoulder of the roadway leading to the park entrance and passersby noticed smoke coming from the cab of the camper.  By the time the fire department arrived the vehicle was fully involved and after it was knocked down and firefighters could get inside, they found the bodies of a man and two young children.

They were later tentatively identified as Anthony DeHaven and his two children Jersey, a kindergartner, and Jace, a 6th-grade student.  An autopsy was performed Wednesday, but the results have not been made public.  Positive identification of the victims has not yet been determined, either.

The Associated Press and other news agencies are reporting that there is evidence that it may have been a murder-suicide incident.  Back in Minnesota the Woodbury police say that they have a document that lends credence to that supposition.

KMSP-TV Ch. 9 Minneapolis has this video report from Woodbury:

 

NPS: Grand Canyon Deaths Likely a Double-Murder Suicide: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

AP report HERE.
The Woodbury Bulletin has MORE.

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Posted by on October 6, 2011 • Filed under: crime, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Small Fire … Large Loss

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A RELATIVELY-SMALL FIRE IN A NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, apartment left two young children dead Monday morning.  Following the deadly fire, it was quickly determined that there was no working smoke detector in the apartment.

KOTV image

The alarm was dispatched at 6:40 am and the first units on the scene found fire showing from the ground floor apartment.  The firefighters were able to get inside on a search-and-rescue action, but when they located the two children, ages 1 and 4 years, they had already perished.  Five adults were transported for injuries from burns and smoke inhalation.  Fire officials say that the children’s parents escaped through their bedroom window, but were severly burned when they re-entered the apartment in an attempt to get to the children.

The fire was contained to the apartment where it originated, but several others had smoke damage and the estimated loss is preliminarily placed at $120,000.  The cause is still being investigated.

The Norman Transcript has the STORY.

KOTV Ch. 6 filed this video report:
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Posted by on October 12, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Mom, Neighbors Hear Infant Dying in Fire

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WFTV

A MIMS, FLORIDA, TODDLER PERISHED TUESDAY morning as his mother and neighbors futilely tried to save him as fire swept through the family’s mobile home.  The fire broke out around 10:30 am in the Brevard County double-wide mobile home and neighbors rushed to the the site where they found April Reid, 32, covered with 2nd-degree burns and could hear the infant inside the bedroom.

Two of them tried to enter the bedroom, but were driven back by the excessive heat and smoke.  Florida Today reports:

“The mother told us she couldn’t get her baby out,” said Orlando Dominguez, spokesman for Brevard County Fire-Rescue. “Our firefighters went inside of the burning structure and found the child. The child appeared to have perished in the fire.”

The paramedics on the scene attempted to get a helicopter to transport the mother who had 60% burn coverage, but the weather prevented any flights.  Using the ambulance, they traveled for an hour delivering her to the burn unit in Orlando where she is listed in serious condition.

Channel 6 filed this very poignant report from the fire scene:

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Posted by on August 11, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Fire Claims Illinois 3-yr.-Old

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AN EARLY-MORNING FIRE IN THE CHICAGO SUBURB of Prospect Heights, Illinois, killed a toddler and injured the father and an infant Saturday.

photo by Larry Shapiro

When the first units arrived at 3:25 am they found the distraught father standing on the front lawn of his blazing house with his infant daughter in his arms.  He told the FF’s that his other child was still inside.  They found the 3-yr.-old boy immediately and brought him out, then attempted to rescusitate him on the lawn before transportation.  But the child was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after. 

photo by Larry Shapiro

The father and infant were also hospitalized.  Nobody else was in the house at the time.

Prospect Heights Fire Captain Mark Oeltgen said the house was in an area without fire hydrants and water had be brought to the scene. Seven local fire departments responded for the upgraded response.

photo by Larry Shapiro

The fire was knocked down in 15 minutes and the investigation for the cause was still underway on Saturday afternoon.

Fire photographer Larry Shapiro has posted a 26-image photo gallery HERE.
The Chicago Tribune has more details HERE.
The Daily Herald has MORE.

Posted by on June 13, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, rescue, Rescues • Tagged: , , ,

Fire Kills 2 Young Brothers – Father Charged.

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A GREENFIELD, OHIO, MAN IS BEING ARRAIGNED today on two felony counts of child endangerment following a fire in his house Sunday morning that killed his two sons ages 3 and 4.  Following the 8 am court appearance, he is being held on $1 million bond.  Investigators said they are charging Wesley Coonrod, 42, because of his level of intoxication and his actions when the fire started.

coonrod a

Wesley Coonrod

Investigators have not yet determined what started the fire, but neighbors reported that it was well involved before the FD arrived and the house was so filled with smoke that none of the neighbors were able to get inside to search for the boys.

WKRC-TV Ch. 12 has this video report:

Tv station NBC4 Columbus has a full report HERE.

Coonrod has a prior arrest record  including domestic violence, aggravated menacing, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and numerous criminal damaging and OVI and DUI arrests.

coonrod b

The Red Cross had just moved the family temporarily into the duplex apartment two days earlier following another fire in their previous dwelling last week.

Posted by on March 8, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, investigations, Videos • Tagged: , ,

4 Infants Perish as Baby Sitter Bails Out

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FOUR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 5 perished Saturday night when a fire swept unchecked and unreported through a townhouse in Flint, Michigan.  One of the children lived there and the others were being watched by the child’s father, a 28-yr.-old man who was cooking something and fell asleep.

flint4 a flintjournal

Flint Journal / Hollyn Johnson

When he woke up, the fire was well advanced and he dove out a first-floor window to escape.  The children ages 4, 3, 2, and 1 were all upstairs and trapped in the fire.  At about that time, shortly after 11 pm, a neighbor saw the fire breaking out the windows and called the fire department.

Battalion Chief Andy Graves told the Flint Journal that the home was fully involved when the units arrived, but they made an attempt anyway, advancing a hose line up the stairs while knocking down the fire.  However, all the children were already dead by that time.  Chief Graves added that the prolonged response time of seven minutes was created by the closure of a nearby fire station.  He also said that none of the smoke detectors in the public housing unit were working and that contributed greatly to a delayed alarm.

The fire got up into the common attic and spread throughout the building, damaging the other five units in the structure.

The Associated Press has MORE.

Posted by on February 14, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Response times • Tagged: , ,

Fire Kills 3 in Condemned House

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FIRE IN A LEBANON, OHIO, HOUSE DESTROYED the building early this morning (Monday) and killed three people who were inside.  The house had been condemned and was slated for demolition, however the owner of the house, Jerry Crisp said that there were two “friends of mine” who were living in the decrepit dwelling.

lebanon a enquirer dworecki

Enquirer photo by Dworecki

The three bodies were completely burned and the coroner says that he cannot yet tell if they were men or women.  The Cincinnati Enquirer adds:

When fire crews arrived on the scene, the fire was fully involved. Flames were shooting out of the back of the house.

Two bodies were found in the front room and a third body was found in another part of the three-family home built in 1900, said Fire Chief Hannigan.

“It is an old wood frame house and the fire had a substantial headway. When we got here they were probably already deceased,” Hannigan said. “There wasn’t anything we could have done to get them out and save them.”

The shingles on the roof had been blown off in a windstorm 13 months ago and there was a tarpaulin nailed down over the roof.  The Lebanon City Manager said that the house has a history of code violations including no plumbing and faulty electrical wiring.  Jerry Crisp, the owner, was formerly the Lebanon fire chief from 1975 until 1985, according to the fire department.

WKRC-TV Ch. 12 has this video report including some fire footage HERE.

The Cincinnati Enquirer has the STORY.

Posted by on October 19, 2009 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , ,