NFPA Journal -March/April 2014 - (Page 30)

>> FIREWATCH from our files by Ken Tremblay A father died trying to rescue his two young daughters from an early morning fire at his North Carolina home. His wife was injured but survived. Residential Grill ignites deck and spreads to interior of home NORTH CAROLINA-A 36-year-old man and his two daughters, ages 4 and 6, died in a fire that investigators believe began when a charcoal grill on the wooden deck of their home ignited decking material during the night. The two-story, wood-frame house had smoke detectors on the first and second floors that were tied into a monitored fire and burglar alarm system. There were no sprinklers. The residents were wakened by the smoke detector and called 911 from the house at 1:50 a.m. The male victim's wife was on the scene when firefighters arrived and told them that her husband and two children were still inside the house. They advanced a hose line through the front door and tried to go up the stairs to rescue 30 NFPA JOURNAL MARCH/APRIL 2014 the girls from their bedroom at the front of the house. When high heat and heavy smoke prevented them from advancing to the second floor, additional crews put a ladder up to the girls' bedroom window and advanced a hose line into the room, where they found the two girls, one on a bed and the other on the floor near the door. Both had been overcome by smoke inhalation. Firefighters found the father outside their room, overcome by smoke. Only the mother, who suffered smoke inhalation and burns, survived. Investigators believe that the fire burned on the deck before making its way into the house through the back door. Once inside, it filled both levels of the home with flames, heat, and smoke. They also learned that, although the smoke detector operated, the monitoring company failed to notify the fire department. The fire destroyed both the house and its contents. Woman dies when stove ignites clothing OHIO-A 78-year-old woman died of burns she received when her pajama sleeve caught fire as she cooked breakfast for her husband. The fire occurred in a two-story, wood-frame house that was 32 feet (10 meters) long and 36 feet (11 meters) wide. The smoke alarm on the first floor of the single-family home operated. There were no sprinklers. The fire department received a 911 call at 10:25 a.m. reporting the fire, and by the time firefighters arrived at the house, the flames on the victim's clothing had been extinguished. Investigators determined that the sleeve of the woman's loose-fitting flannel pajamas ignited when it passed Photograph: AP Photo/The Fayetteville Observer, Marcus Castro

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal -March/April 2014

NFPA Journal -March/April 2014
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
In Compliance
First Responder
Research
Wildfire Watch
Outreach
Firewatch
In West’s Wake
Cleaning Up the Dry Cleaning Standard
The Sprinkler Difference
Conference & Expo Preview
Section Spotlight
Looking Back

NFPA Journal -March/April 2014