Candle Fire Stories
As part of our coverage of Fire Prevention Week, I would like to highlight some snippets about fires started by candles. This comes from the NFPA Fire Prevention Week website.
Louisiana (2005) One of the deadliest fires in state history killed 11 members of a single family, including seven children, and it was started by a candle. The family had just moved into their two-story townhouse in Marrero, and with the electricity in the home not yet turned on, they were using tea-light candles for lighting purposes. On March 10, 2005, a candle on a window sill ignited bedding on the top floor of the townhouse. In a desperate attempt to put out the fire, family members moved the burning mattress down the stairs, placing it on top of a pile of cardboard boxes, while they tried to open the front door. The burning mattress quickly ignited the boxes, producing too much fire and smoke to escape through. After a family member managed to get out of the home and kick down the front door, the resulting eruption of flames quickly engulfed the front of the house.Investigator Dennis Guidry says that the fire deaths offer a tragic reminder of the dangers in using candles for lighting. "These candles were tea candles, meaning that they had no globe or base, they were just sitting on the window sill," he said. "At some point in time, the candle burns all of the way down and the results can be deadly."
- As reported by the Jefferson Parish Arson Investigation Unit, Jefferson, LA.
There are several more stories on the webpage. Read them all.
Posted October 11, 2005 08:46 AM · Link
· Prevention
