House fires pose serious threats to those of us who live here in Indiana or Illinois. Most people assume home fires are remote risks – something that will never happen to them.
It is a risky assumption to make.
Examples of Severe House Fires in the Past Week
Consider the following four examples of local house fires in the past week. In two of these severe residential fires, someone perished from fire-related injuries. In another, the resident was likely to have died in the fire, but for the passersby who rescued her.
1. October 7, 2018: Brighton, Illinois House Fire
It was in the middle of the afternoon this past Sunday when a house fire took the life of the woman who lived in the home on Cindy Street. The house was engulfed in flames by the time Brighton firefighters arrived on the scene.
The Illinois State Fire Marshall is investigating the cause of the house fire.
See, “Fatal House Fire In Brighton IL Under Investigation,” written by Chris Smith and published by Fox2Now on October 7, 2018 and coverage by WAND-TV.
2. October 6, 2018: Columbus, Indiana House Fire
By the time that responders arrived at the home on Della Road in Columbus, Indiana, last Saturday the house was fully aflame.
It was very early in the morning, hours before sunrise, and little is known about this fatal house fire that tragically claimed the life of its 65-year-old occupant.
The cause of the blaze is being investigated by both the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office.
See, “Columbus Man Dies in Early Morning House Fire,” written by Andrew Smith and published on October 6, 2018, by The Indy Channel.
3. October 5, 2018: Ernest, Indiana House Fire
The historic home on Store Hill Road in Ernest, Indiana, had withstood all sorts of threats for over 100 years, but the historic residence was unable to survive the fire that burned it to the ground last Friday.
Fortunately, no one was home at the time of the destructive fire, which totally destroyed the two-story wooden structure. Firefighters were able to protect the neighboring homes from any spreading flames.
The cause of this house fire is being investigated by the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office.
See, “Ernest Home Destroyed by Fire,” published on October 7, 2018, by the Indiana Gazette.
4. October 4, 2018: Belleville, Illinois House Fire
It was a good thing three ministers from St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Belleville, Illinois, decided to go out to lunch last Thursday. As they were returning to work, they saw smoke rising from a house fire and rushed to help.
The church worship leader ran into the home after his wife opened the front door to billowing smoke. Joined by the associate pastor, they were able to follow cries for help and rescue the resident from the home fire.
According to the Signal Hill Fire District Fire Chief, the fire started in the kitchen after the resident was distracted by a phone call as she was cooking something on the stove. The woman would have been a likely victim of fatal smoke inhalation if not for the quick action by the church ministers, according to Fire Chief Tom Elliff.
See, “Pastors on Lunch Break Run Into Smoke-Filled Home And Rescue Woman Near Belleville,”written by Mary Cooley and published by the Belleville News-Democrat on October 5, 2018.
National Fire Prevention Week: October 7 – 13
Once again, those representing victims of fatal house fires and their loved ones, as well as safety advocates and government agencies around the country, join together to promote National Fire Prevention Safety Week.
For almost a century, this public awareness campaign has fought for greater education and recognition of this very real threat to our safety and those of our loved ones.
According to the United States Fire Administration, residential house fires are the most common type of fire death in the nation, as 74.5% of all fire deaths happen in the home.
Statistics show these are the most common causes of deadly house fires:
- Carelessness (17.5%)
- Smoking (14.3%)
- (Under Investigation (13.6%)
- Intentional (Arson) (9.7%)
- Electrical Malfunction (9.6%)
- Cooking (6.6%)
- All Other Causes (28.8%).
While the country saw a record low number of fire fatalities in 2012, that number jumped 12% by 2015. The number of fire deaths continues to rise.
Legal Claims for Fire Accident Victims
Here in our part of the country, we need to be alert and aware to the dangers of residential fires and the need for fire safety. As this past week demonstrates, severe and deadly house fires happen all too often in Indiana and Illinois.
All too many deadly residential fires are preventable accidents where the fire victim is not at fault.
In our next post, we’ll discuss how state and federal laws act to protect innocent victims of a fire accident or fatal fire when the cause of the fire is due to the negligence or fault of another, and how justice can be served on their behalf. Let’s be careful out there!
