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UPDATED: Overnight Fire Claims 6 Family Members

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UPDATE, 12:30 pm Eastern:  Additional information and more video added.  Scroll down.

FOUR CHILDREN AND TWO ADULTS have been confirmed dead this morning (Monday) following a large house fire in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

The fire began shortly before midnight Sunday and rapidly filled the entire home before the first-in units arrived on the scene.  The fire was difficult to fight because of access to the house and a quick collapse of the roof and upper floor.

WNEP-TV filed this early report from the scene:

 

According to the coroner's office, four children ages 2, 3, 7, and 8 were killed along with their father age 30.  His sister-in-law age 26 also perished, however the children's mother was not at home at the time of the blaze.

The state police fire marshal is on the scene awaiting the opportunity to get inside.  There is no indication yet on the cause of the fire.  Five firefighters suffered not-serious injuries.

Republican-Herald / Meyer

Units are still on the scene at the time of this posting and no further information is yet available.

SpankMan posted this raw video of the blaze:

 

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Fire and Film has more extensive video:

 

The Pottsville Republican-Herald has the early STORY.

Update, 12:30 pm: 
More information has been released since our first posting.  WTXF-TV Ch. 29 Philadelphia reports:

Fire officials said seven people lived in the home. Just one adult, the mother, survived. She was across the street in another house doing laundry.

The initial call was apparently to the police department for a disturbance. A neighbor tried to get in but couldn't. Fire crews were called in and arrived within minutes, but there was little they could do. Pottsville Fire Chief Todd March said, "When the police got here, and the neighbors, they all tried to get in the back of the building. One of our police officers tried to get into the basement door in the front. He got in so far, but there was flames were already coming down the stairs from the second floor down to the first."

The fire crews got water in the fire immediately, March said, but within five minutes the entire front of the building was engulfed in flames.

"The neighbors smelled smoke, including the mother, and they came out to see what was going on, and they just saw it, you know, heavily involved in the back of the building, a lot of smoke coming out the front," March said.

The neighbors' response was apparently what led to the "disturbance" call to police, according to the fire chief.

All of the victims were found in the bedrooms and were believed to be asleep at the time of the fire. Two were in the back bedroom, one was in the middle bedroom, and three were in the front bedroom.

The fire is believed to have started in or near the kitchen and the investigation is first concentrating on the home's furnace and the kitchen stove as the possible origin.

Ch. 29 also has a video update:

 Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

Hat tip:  Carmine S. and Ron Y.

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Posted by on May 13, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Suspicious Fire Claims 4 Family Members in Illinois

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All Victims Believed to be Children

A HOUSE FIRE IN PERCY, ILLINOIS, early Friday morning took the lives of four residents and hospitalized a fifth.  The fire was reported around 2 am when the house was already well involved.

KMOV-TV 4

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting:

Shirley Hornbostel, who lives about two houses away from the home that burned, said she heard the sirens this morning and looked outside. "I looked out my window and it was just in flames," she said. "Flames were coming out the roof and windows."

Hornbostel said the parents went to the hospital with a boy who suffered smoke inhalation. Hornbostel talked with the children's grandmother, who was outside on the street as investigators sifted through the rubble. "I felt like I owed her my sympathy," Hornbostel said. "She said four of my grandchildren are gone."

The grandmother told neighbors that investigators were looking at arson as a possibility because a gas can was found in the yard and the tires on two vehicles had been slashed.

The coroner declined to comment on the report of a gasoline can or slashed tires. "We're not releasing any information just yet," he said.

Randolph County Coroner Randy Dudenbostel confirmed Friday morning that the fire is considered suspicious.  He has not yet released the names or ages of the fatalities.

KMOV-TV St. Louis has provided some raw video taken from their helicopter:

 

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Posted by on May 10, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Mother Facing Charges On Children’s Fire Deaths

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Home-Alone Tots Perish

A WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN, WOMAN is in police custody and facing possible charges following a Thursday afternoon fire at her home that killed three of her children.

WTMJ-TV

Firefighters arrived at the burning house at 5:25 pm Thursday and found the house fully charged with smoke.  Neighbors told them that four children resided there with their mother and a full search was initiated.  The entire interior of the house was involved and the FF's were stymied at a second-floor bedroom that had a large hole already burned through the floor that prevented them immediate entry.

After the fire was knocked down, they were able to get into the isolated bedroom where they found the lifeless bodies of twin 4-yr.-old boys and their 5-yr.-old sister.  Their mother Angelica Belen arrived at the house two hours later and through her they learned that her fourth child was visiting her estranged husband in another town.

Belen, 24, was taken into police custody yesterday (Friday) and is being held for questioning over the circumstances leading to the fire and her absence from the house when it started.

WITI-TV reported that Belen had been arrested and charged on March 28th for two other incidents involving her children. As a result, she was charged with six misdemeanor counts of neglecting a child. Belen is due in court on May 3rd in connection with this case.

 

WITI-TV has more details and video reports HERE.

WISN-TV also filed this video report:

 

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel posted Friday's FD press conference:

 

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Posted by on April 13, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Fire Claims Neighbor Trying to Rescue Occupants

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Four Dead in House Fire

A HOUSE FIRE SUNDAY NIGHT IN MACON County, Tennessee, killed the three elderly occupants and a 55-yr.-old neighbor who had entered the house in an attempt to rescue the occupants.

WSMV-TV

The fire was reported around 7 pm to the Lafayette Fire Department and the first-in units found the house fully involved.

The three residents are believed to be a married couple and the wife's sister.  The Associated Press is reporting that authorities said the rescuer got the couple to the front door and went back looking for the wife's sister, but did not get out. Arriving firefighters were able to pull the couple from the burning home, but they did not survive.  Firefighters later recovered the sister's body, but the neighbor is still missing in the rubble as the entire house has burned down.

WSMV-TV Ch. 4 Nashville filed this good video report from the scene:

 WSMV Channel 4

The fire investigators began their work this morning.  The Sheriff Dept. has not yet publicly released the victims' names.

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Posted by on March 4, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Fire Victim Rescued By Firefighters Dies Later at Hospital

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Unconscious When Found in Burning House

AN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, MAN was rescued from his burning home Wednesday afternoon by the firefighters.  The unidentified man in his 60's was found unconscious by the search team and brought out of the house suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.  He was taken to the hospital in critical condition where he later died from his injuries.

Indianapolis FD photo

The Indianapolis Fire Department spokeswoman said that the fire began around 4 pm in the front part of the house and the victim was found about 10 feet from the rear door.

The well-advanced fire was already through the roof when the first units arrived, but it was knocked down after about an hour and caused approximately $100,000 in damage.

WXIN-TV filed the story plus a video report that includes fire footage HERE.

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Posted by on February 28, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Rescues • Tagged: , ,

1 Rescued, 4 Perish in Illinois House Fire

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Ladder Rescue by Firefighter

A HOUSE FIRE IN A SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, single-family dwelling early this morning took the lives of four people.  A fifth person was rescued via ladder by the firefighters from the blaze that was reported just before midnight.

State Journal-Register

The State Journal-Register reports:

Springfield Fire Chief Ken Fustin said firefighters were called to the scene at 11:43 p.m. Thursday.

Firefighters rescued a female occupant from the second floor of the home using a ladder, Fustin said. Authorities have not released the names of the victims.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and fire department personnel were still on the scene as of 8:15 a.m. Central Friday.

Posted by on January 18, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, rescue, Rescues • Tagged: , ,

Mom & 4 Children Perish in House Fire

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No Smoke Detectors

AN OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, FAMILY WAS DECIMATED Wednesday morning when a fire swept throught their house, trapping most of them inside.

Ch. 6 News

The Oklahoma City Fire Department  received the alarm at 6:30 am and when the first units arrived on the scene they had fire showing from every window of the house.  The FF's knew there were reports of children trapped, but had to knock the fire back before they could get inside to search.  Once they did, they found the bodies of Jeanine Bonnett, 28, and her four children ages 8, 7, 5 and 3.  A sixth person, a man in his thirties was found critically burned over his body and is in the hospital burn unit.

The Oklahoman

It was quickly determned by the fire investigator that the fire was started by a space heater that had been placed to closely to a sofa.  There were no smoke detectors in the house.  Fire Battalion Chief Randy Cornelius says that the presence of smoke alarms may very well have made the difference in saving lives in this case.

KOCO-TV Ch. 5 filed this video report:

 

For more details on the incident, refer to:

TV News6
The Oklahoman

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

2 Children Die, 2 Others Serious in Racine House Fire

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Firefighters Lauded For Heroic Rescue Efforts

A HOUSE FIRE EARLY THURSDAY MORNING in Racine, Wisconsin, decimated a sleeping family leaving two of their four young children dead and two more in serious condition.  The 12:45 am phone call to 9-1-1 was made by the distraught mother from inside the house and she told the dispatcher that her four children were inside also.  She could hear them screaming, but could not get to them because of the fire.

Journal Times

When firefighters arrived they found an adult male in the front yard who had been brought out by a police officer, and immediately began a search for the mother and children.  The Racine Journal Times describes what happened next:

City firefighters endured 20 minutes of blistering heat and intense smoke locating and rescuing the children.

Immediately after removing the last child, Racine Fire Chief Steve Hansen said four firefighters "literally dropped from (heat) exhaustion;" they were treated at the scene, then immediately returned to the house and continued battling the blaze.  "They gave it everything that they possibly could to get those kids out of there," Hansen said. "This is an example of our firefighters going way above and beyond."

Two Racine police officers arrived on scene before firefighters and pushed down the front door to rescue Lemont Siller, 29, who the officers heard shouting from inside.

The children were transported to Wheaton-Franciscan Hospital where the two girls, age 8 and 9, died. The boys, 5 and 7, received initial emergency care before being transported to the Children’s Hospital in Wauwatosa.

Channel 6 filed this video report from the scene:

 

The investigators quickly determined that the fire started in a bathroom, but have not yet determined the cause.  The house had no electricity.

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Posted by on November 9, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: ,

Mom and 4 Kids Perish in Suspicious House Fire

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Dad and 5th Child Survive

ESSEX, ENGLAND, FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED to find a house fully involved early Monday morning with reports of people trapped.  One man was found outside in the front yard telling them that his family was still inside.  The firefighters charged inside and managed to locate the man's wife and all five of their children and got them out of the house.

BBC News

Unfortunately, the woman and three of the children had already died and despite full attempts at CPR none of them survived.  Two other children were taken to the hospital where one of them later passed away from the fire injuries.  The children's ages range from 3 to 13.  Both parents are doctors and the family had just recently moved into the neighborhood.

Essex police say that they are treating the fire as "suspicious" without saying why, yet.

BBC News filed this video report from the scene:

 

The Guardian has a detailed report HERE.
The Telegraph has more plus additional video HERE.

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Posted by on October 16, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Triple-Fatalities Trapped in Basement Apartment in Toronto

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Victim Made the 9-1-1 Call

THREE PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN A HOUSE FIRE near Toronto in Whitby, Ontario, Sunday morning.  The fire started shortly after midnight in a 1-½ story house that had been divided into apartments.  The three victims were all in the basement unit and one of them apparently was the caller who reported the fire saying that they were trapped in the basement and could not get out.

CBC News

The firefighters found the upper level of the house well involved on arrival and soon located the three victims, all of them already succumbed to the toxic atmosphere.  They were transported to the hospital where they were later pronounced.

TV station CP24 is reporting:

The three victims were residing in a basement apartment. Several other occupants, who lived on the main floor, were not home at the time.

"It was a single one and a half storey building made into apartments and it made things a little tight for the firefighters in terms of finding their way around,"Chief Michael Gerrard of the Whitby Fire Department told CP24 at the scene. "Things were a little slower than if it had of been a normal structure."

According to Durham Regional Police, the victims have been identified but their names are being witheld pending notification of next of kin.

The fire was knocked down in 30 minutes.

DurhamRegion.com

The investigators say that they expect to be on the scene until Tuesday working to determine the cause.  They do not yet know if the house had working smoke detectors.

CBC has the story and more details HERE.

They report that the nearest hydrant malfunctioned but it had no effect on the fire attack operations.

A next-door neighbor took his home video of the fire:

 

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Posted by on April 29, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: ,

Updated: Pennsylvania House Fire Kills 4 – Destroys 4 Homes.

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I visit the Firegeezer website every morning without fail as I check my emails
and do my "administrative stuff" before heading out. It is the only fire related website
I visit each and every day. You do a great job…keep it up

All Family Members

Update:  On-Scene Videos Added.  Scroll Down.

A HEAVY FIRE TUESDAY MORNING IN SHENANDOAH, Pennsylvania, spread through four houses in the town center leaving a woman and four children dead in the same house.  When the first fire unit arrived at 6:15 am there was already a well-involved fire in the house and had begun spreading along the rear of the neighboring homes.

Pottsville Republican-Herald

The victims were a 29-yr.-old woman, her son age 10, and two nephews  ages 7 months and 10 years.  A second son age 8 escaped the fire but was hospitalized with smoke inhalation and burns.

Republican-Herald

The fire marshal is still investigating the cause of the fire and autopsies were scheduled for today for the victims.  Very little other information has been released yet.

The Pottsville Republican-Herald has the STORY.
WFMZ-TV has more plus a good photo gallery HERE.

Hat tip:  Carmine S.

Update, Wed. morning:

TamaquaArea has posted six videos from the incident operation:

 

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

Updated – 8 Dead in Morning House Fire

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No Smoke Detector

Update, 5:30 pm:  Details from afternoon press conference added.
Update #2:  Ninth victim dies in hospital.  Scroll down.

EIGHT MEMBERS OF AN EXTENDED FAMILY perished early Saturday morning in a Charleston, West Virginia, house fire.  Six of the fatalities are children under the age of eight, according to early reports.  Two adults perished also and two other residents were taken to the hospital for fire-related injuries.  One of the injured is an adult woman and the other is an infant that is reported by the fire department as being on life support.

The call was received at 3:30 am for the 2-story wood frame home occupied by two sisters and their six children.  Reportedly the surviving sister had escaped the flames and reported the fire.

Mayor Danny Jones addresses the press.

Charleston Mayor Danny Jones told the AP that the only smoke detector in the house was found inside a cabinet and was not operable.  The fire officers believe that it had been burning for quite a while before it was reported.

There is no further information yet, but a press conference has been scheduled for 3 pm EDT.  Firegeezer will try to get the report from that meeting and update this report.

The Charleston Daily Mail has the early report HERE.

UPDATE, 5:30 pm:
The mayor and other city officials held a press conference this afternoon addressing the deadly fire.  Among the points they covered were:

  • The fire started in the front of the home on the first floor.
  • The cause is still unknown according to the fire investgator who added that there is no reason to suspect arson, but it has not been ruled out yet.
  • The fire units arrived approx. 4 minutes after the call, which was received at 3:23 am, and they found the house fully involved.

  • There was only one smoke detector in the home, and it was under a cabinet, not the correct placement for the device, Jones said. The city had tried to schedule an inspection of the home for Feb. 28, receiving permission from the landlord, identified by officials as Delores Shamblin of Mammoth, and an occupant of the home.  However, when an inspector arrived, a child answered the door and said no adult was home at the time, Jones said. No inspection took place.

The Daily Mail has coverage of the press conference HERE.

Update, Monday March 26:
It has been announced that a ninth victim has died from the fire.  A 7-yr.-old boy who had been carried out while an adult was fleeing the blaze, was taken off life-support at the hospital Sunday morning.

The Daily Mail has the latest REPORT HERE including this:

ATF investigators were searching the charred remains of the home by using a dog trained to detect accelerants. As of Sunday afternoon the dog had found none, Eggleton said.

He said firefighters also had not found any signs of arson in the two-story wood frame home. Firefighters believe the fire started in the front of the first level of the house.

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

Ohio House Fire Takes Father and Three Sons

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No Chance of Rescue

AN EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO, MAN AND his three young sons ages 5, 7, and 11 perished in a fire early Saturday morning.

KDKA-TV

The call was dispatched shortly after midnight and the firefighters saw the fire from the station as they pulled out less than two minutes later.  On arrival they found the house well-involved and were unable to gain entry either through the ground floor or the 2nd-story windows.  The intensity of the blaze and life-hazard led the fire chief to recall all nine of his off-duty firefighters.

WKBN-TV has the video report:

 

The Ohio State Fire Marshal's office is investigating the cause and why it spread so quickly.  They have announced that they will not have a statement until Monday at the earliest.  There has been no report on whether the FD found any smoke detectors in the structure.

KDKA-TV Pittsburgh has the report plus additional video HERE.

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Posted by on March 18, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: ,

Five Dead in New Jersey House Fire

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Grandma and Four Grandchildren

AN EARLY MORNING FIRE SWEPT THROUGH a South Plainfield, New Jersey, house Thursday that killed a 62-yr.-old woman and her four grandchildren.

Star-Ledger

The Star-Ledger reports:

The fire sparked about 3 a.m. at 1407 Clinton Ave., one half of a duplex within a converted 130-year old former farmhouse on the corner of Laurel Avenue, authorities said

Flames were soon shooting through the home’s roof. "There was just so much heat and fire," said South Plainfield Deputy Fire Chief Lawrence DelNegro who added that firefighters who tried to enter through the first floor were quickly forced back outside.

Desperate to try to reach those trapped, firefighters put at least six ladders against second-story windows as flames shot from the first floor, DelNegro said. Firefighters smashed through second-floor windows but heat and flames still kept them from entering the home.

The ages of the four children who died are estimated to be 11 yrs. to toddler.  There is no official confirmation on the victims names and ages, nor any early indication of the cause of the fire.

Neighbors are saying that the house was already well-involved when the FD arrived on the scene.  The duplex unit was home to nine family members and the other four had managed to run out the front door before the flames took over the entire dwelling.  The fire department is saying that the four survivors are the children's mother and three other siblings.

The fire chief says this was South Plainfield's worst (life loss) fire on record.

The firefighters were able to contain the fire to the one half of the duplex.

WNYW-TV filed this video report:

 

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Posted by on February 23, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Four Children Perish in Rochester Fire

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Suspicious Circumstances

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED to an outside fire around 1 am Saturday in a residential neighborhood.  When they arrived on the scene they found a rubbish fire along the curb in front of a 2-story duplex house.  While easily putting it out, some of the crew took a 360 around the house itself and heard smoke detectors sounding.  Looking in the back door they saw furniture on fire.  They went inside and attempted to go to the second floor bedrooms, but within a few seconds the house flashed over and the entire first floor became fully involved.

Monroe County Fire Wire / Guy Zamptori photo

Unable to make the stairs to the upper-floor apartment, a ladder was put to a window, but fire filled the second story as the FF's were just going inside.  In the words of the battalion chief, they were enveloped in  fire themselves and had to make a quick exit.  Another crew with a hose line went through the front door and just inside found a woman and a child alive.  They and two other people were taken to the hospital.

It was learned immediately after that four children were trapped and died on the second floor.  Their ages were not yet available.

Monroe County Fire Wire / Guy Zamptori photo

The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle filed this video that includes
fire footage and an interview with the battalion chief:

 

WHAM-TV filed this report from the scene shortly after daybreak:

 

Monroe County Fire Wire has a photo gallery HERE.

Thanks to Robb L.

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Posted by on February 18, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

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: ,

Fatal Fire Update – UK

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Suspect Questioned

THE TRAGIC FIRE IN LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND, this past weekend that killed four siblings has been determined to be an arson.  (See the Firegeezer report from Sunday HERE.)  The fire began in a closet in one of the attic bedrooms where all four victims were sleeping.  There was very little fire damage, but heavy smoke generated from the small fire.  The coroner has reported that all four victims died from smoke inhalation.

This Wednesday the police arrested Dyson Allen, 18, on suspicion of murder and held him for questioning.  He was released on bail today and is now at an undisclosed location out of the county while waiting to be recalled for further questioning.  He is believed to be a friend of Reece Smith, 19, who was one of the fire fatalities.

This earlier candid photo of Dyson Allen
was released to the press.

The house had four smoke detectors installed, but none of them were working Saturday night at the time of the fire.  Four-year-old twin girls and a 2-yr.-old boy also perished.  The Daily Mail adds:

(Detective Chief Inspector Neil) Esseen added: 'Obviously, given that we now have a man under arrest, I cannot go into details about certain aspects of the investigation.

'However, what I would say is that we are at the very early stages of a major investigation and are following a number of different lines of inquiry. At this stage it is still unclear as to what happened in the lead-up to the fire starting.

'I would renew our appeal for anyone with information that could assist our inquiry to come forward. This is a tragic incident and our thoughts remain with the family at such a difficult time.'

The officer would not be drawn on whether the suspect in custody was a guest at the party held at the house on Saturday night.

 ITN has posted DCI Esseen's press statement:

 

The Daily Mail has more details and an extensive photo display in their updated report HERE.

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Posted by on January 13, 2012 • Filed under: arson, Fire Rescue Topics, investigations • Tagged: , , ,

UK House Fire Claims 4 Siblings

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Site of Birthday Party Earlier

A HOUSE FIRE IN LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND, SATURDAY NIGHT took the lives of four siblings from a family of nine children and their mother.

There are no outward signs of fire damage in this Sky News photo.
The upper-floor bedrooms were extensively damaged  and the
interior stairs were completely burned through.

The fire brigade was dispatched at 11:20 pm Saturday night with reports of people trapped and on arrival found what the fire officer described as, "…. quite a chaotic scene with a lot of people outside quite distressed."   Firefighters were able to get in and remove the four victims quickly and a mass-CPR scene was started while awaiting the ambulances.

The family had been celebrating the 36-yr.-old mother's birthday earlier that evening and she escaped the blaze seemingly uninjured.  The FD and police still are not sure how many people were in the 1-½ story bungalow at the time of the fire.

Killed were Reece Smith, 19, twins Holly and Ella Smith, 4, and Jordan Smith, 2.  The BBC is reporting that a police spokesman said detectives were keeping an open mind as to what might have caused the fire. They are now carrying out a joint investigation with the fire service.  The fire affected bedrooms of the house in the village, which is several miles west of Preston. From the outside there was no apparent damage caused by the blaze, but the scene has been cordoned off.

The Mirror has more details in a full report HERE.
The Daily Mail has more along with additional photos HERE.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service WEBSITE.

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Posted by on January 8, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: ,

Fire Tragedy in British Columbia

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Entire Town Mourns

THE SMALL TOWN OF SICAMOUS, BRITISH  COLUMBIA, is feeling the loss of a father and his two young sons after a fire swept through their mobile home Sunday evening.  The fire broke out around 7 pm and quickly engulfed the home killing the 28-yr.-old man and his two sons ages 3 and 4.

CFJC-TV

The mother was at work at the time and raced home to find the terrible scene.  Sicamous is a small, tight-knit community and any loss like this hits them all.

The fire investigator says that there is no reason to consider the fire suspicious.

The Province has the details HERE.
CFJC-TV has a good video report HERE.

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

House Fire Claims 6 Family Members in London

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Two More Still Alive in the Hospital

AN "INTENSE" FIRE SWEPT THROUGH A 2-story home in NW London (UK) early Saturday morning killing six of the eight family members sleeping inside.  The first fire brigade units arrived within four minutes of the alarm and found the house fully involved and several neighbors outside informing them that there were people inside.  The immediate task was a combined search and rescue with supporting hose lines as 30 firefighters were sent to the incident.  The fire alarm was dispatched at 12:50 am and the fire was marked under control at 2:50 am.

Press Association photo

The firefighters rescued two people who were still alive and also carried out a small child who did not respond to resuscitation.

The six fatalities include the mother, age 41, three young children ages 2, 5, and 9, and two teen-age children ages 13 and 14.  The father, age 51 and another teenage girl age 16 have been taken to the hospital where they are in critical condition suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.

Sky News filed this video report:

 

The cause of the fire is still not known and an 4-pronged investigation is already underway.  The family are Palestinian refugees, but the police say there is no indication that the fire was deliberately set.

The Daily Mail has a full, recent REPORT HERE.

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Posted by on September 24, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: , , , , ,

Famed Cookbook Author Dies in House Fire

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International Fame For Asian-Themed Cookbooks

NOTED COOKBOOK AUTHOR JENNIFER BRENNAN, 76, perished early Sunday morning when fire swept through her upstairs duplex home in San Diego, California.

KTLA-TV image

The fire was discovered by neighbors around 1:50 am Pacific when they saw flames coming from the 2nd-story windows.  Despite their calls to her and attempts to rouse her, they were unsuccessful and when the FD arrived the upper floor was well-involved.  The fire was knocked down quickly in about 15 minutes and a primary search located the remains of the victim.

Friends and relatives all said that she was a heavy chain-smoker and frequently smoked in bed.  It is believed that in this instance she fell asleep while smoking and set herself on fire.  Her husband had died just 6 months ago and associates say that she had been in low spirits lately.

KTLA-TV filed this video report:

  

While Brennan had written many cookbooks, she was best known for five best-sellers, all related to East Asian cuisines.  Born in Britain and the daughter of a Royal Army general, she was raised in India where she learned the Indian cuisine and developed her cooking skills that led to her success as an author.

XETV Ch. 6 has more HERE.

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Posted by on August 29, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

6 Die in Ohio House Fire

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No Working Smoke Detectors

EARLY REPORTS SAY THAT SIX PEOPLE DIED in a Warren, Ohio, house fire this morning (Thursday).  The fire that started just before 5 am was already through the roof with flames 30-feet high when the first units arrived on the scene.

WYTV

After the fire was knocked down, the firefighters located two adults on the first floor and four children on the second floor, all dead apparently from the fire.  However, the inspectors are just beginning their work and the cause of the fire and the victims' deaths has not been determined.  Warren Fire Chief Ken Nussle said,  "We're calling the K-9 just because of the fire damage and the six fatalities. We're going to cover all the bases on this."  He also said that, to the best of his knowledge, this is the worst fatal fire in the city's modern history.  Previously there had never been more than three fatalities in a single fire.

The house has significant fire damage and the chief reported that there is no evidence of any working smoke detectors in the house.

WYTV Ch. 33 Youngstown has this EARLY REPORT.

WYTV also has some early raw video posted:

 

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WJW-TV Ch. 8 Cleveland has some aerial footage:

 

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Posted by on June 16, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Two Dead After Hissing House Explodes, Burns

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One Victim Returned Inside to Help the Other

AN EARLY-MORNING HOUSE FIRE in Wichita, Kansas, today (Tuesday) has left two men dead and three survivors who escaped safely when the fire started.

KWCH-TV image

A neighbor who was nearby at the time told reporters that he heard a large "hissing" sound just prior to an explosion that resulted in the entire house breaking out in fire.  When the first FD units arrived the house was fully involved and beyond saving.

KSNW-TV Ch. 3 has this video report filed from the scene:

 

There were five people living in the home and when four of them made it outside and realized one man was still in the house, another man went back in to try and save/help the missing man.  The firefighters were able to rescue one of the two, but he died while on the way to the hospital.  The other victim was found in the debris after the fire was out.

All five residents were family members and one of the fatalities was a grandfather.

KWCH-TV has the story and additional video HERE.
The Wichita Eagle has MORE.

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

Community Joins In To Help Mother of 5 Fire Victims

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THE MOTHER OF FIVE CHILDREN WHO PERISHED in a house fire Monday night is still hospitalized, but the entire community of Citra, Florida, has come together to help her out.  Tuesday morning, Firegeezer reported HERE on the devastating fire that rapidly consumed the old, wood frame house near Ocala, and trapped the five children, ages 6 to 15, of Krista Jordan.

The Gainesville Sun is reporting on the community support so far:

Memorial service details announced: It will be at 4 p.m. Monday at Living Waters Worship Center, 3801 N. U.S. 441.  A burial will be announced at a later date.  The Citra Cemetery Committee has donated eight burial plots.  Ocala Marble and Granite is donating headstones.  Roberts Funeral Homes Downtown Chapel in Ocala is handling the arrangements; it has donated its services at no cost.

Helping the family: Pardee Storage Center, 3065 NW Blitchton Road in Ocala, has donated a unit or two to anyone who would like to donate items to the family.  Bring items to the storage facility; the goods will be stored until the family finds somewhere to live.

A representative from McDonald’s, where the children’s mother is a manager, said the company is working with a bank to try and set up a trust fund. Final details still are being ironed out.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, there will be a fish fry benefit at First Baptist Church of Citra off U.S. 301. Proceeds go to the family.

In addition, family members have contracted with an attorney to investigate the cause of the fire.  The local fire marshal has found three possible causes, but cannot pinpoint one because of the destruction.   They have concentrated on a space heater plugged into a faulty plug, plus a clothes laundry basket left sitting on the space heater power cord, along with a collection of cigarette butts found in the debris near the point of origin.

 The investigation is explained in this video report from WESH-TV Ch. 2:

 

The St. Petersburg Times has a good follow-up article HERE.

It is apparent from the video report above that the lawyer is going to delve into the home’s wiring.  A previous tenant has told the Gainesville Sun:

The 39-year-old auto body repairman, who rented the home at 1760 NE 182nd Place several years ago, said it was riddled with electrical problems at that time.  And despite pleading with the owner’s rental company to fix the wiring in the 80-year-old home, Hickman said his requests were repeatedly rebuffed.

“I said, ‘It’s kicking breakers. It could catch fire.’ I told them several times,” Hickman said Thursday.  You could maybe have a TV plugged into one outlet and a lamp in another,” he said. “You had to strategically plug things in at different places. Anything more, you’d pop a breaker.”

Firegeezer adds:  Let’s keep an eye on this potential legal claim on the faulty wiring.  The lawyer points out that the walls were so riddled with termite damage that once the fire started, it spread through the walls unusually fast.  It will undoubtedly take a couple of years to work its way through the courts, but if they follow through on this line and get a judgement partially for the volatility of the wall construction, then could there be similar claims for fires in homes built with the “wood chips and glue” lightweight construction?

Posted by on November 12, 2010 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, investigations, Videos • Tagged: , , ,