1954 — Apr 10, kerosene splashed on home stove live coals explodes, fire, Columbia, AL–7

— 7 Charleston Gazette, WV. “Mother, Daughter Die.” 4-12-1954, p. 3.
— 7 NFPA. “Editorials.” Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 3, Jan 1955, p. 193.

Narrative Information

April 10, INS: “Columbia, Ala., April 10 (INS) — Five children, including six-month-old twins, perished today in a fire which swept a home at Columbia after a heating stove exploded. All five children were dead before firemen could rescue them from the blazing home.

“Mrs. G. B. Elmore, mother of the twins, three of her other children, and Mrs. Roy Gilbert, of Eufaula, Ala., mother of the other children burned to death, were taken to Moody General Hospital at Dothan, Ala.” (Lima News, OH. “Five Children Die in Blaze.” 4-11-1954, p. 1.)

April 10, UP: “Columbia, Ala. (UP) – Fuel being used for an early morning fire blew up today, enveloping a two-room house in flames that burned five children to death and injured five other persons among the 13 occupying the dwelling. Three children from the family of Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Elmore died in the flames. Two of the dead were from the family of Roy Gilbert, who was visiting the Elmore’s overnight.

“The flames broke out at 6 o’clock this morning when Mrs. Elmore was building a fire in an improvised heater. She splashed kerosene from a five-gallon can on some live coals left over from last night’s fire.” (Logansport Pharos Tribune, IN. “Five Children Die in Blaze.” 4-101954, p. 1.)

April 10, INS: “Columbia, Ala., April 10 (INS) – A tiny, two bedroom home on the outskirts of Columbia today was transformed into a raging inferno which claimed the lives of five small children. Three other children and the mothers of the victims were burned seriously by the blaze, which was attributed to the explosion of a heating unit. Mrs. Roy Gilbert, of Eufaula, Ala., and her two children, two-months and three years old, whose names were not immediately known, were staying overnight at the home of Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Elmore, who had six children of their own.” (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX. “Five Tots Perish in Alabama Fire.” 4-11-1954, p. 1.)

April 11, AP: “Dothan, Ala., April 11 (AP) – Mrs. G. B. Elmore and her 10-year-old daughter, Johnnie Lee, died within minutes of each other today, bringing to seven the victims claimed by a home fire at Columbia, Ala. Two other Elmore children, Eugene Allen, 7, and Alice Faye, 4, were listed in fair condition but Mrs. Roy Gilbert of Eufaula was in serious condition.

“Police Chief D. E. Nolen said the tragedy resulted when Mrs. Elmore threw kerosene on smoldering ashes in a stove.” (Charleston Gazette, WV. “Mother, Daughter Die.” 4-12-1954, 3.)

Sources

Charleston Gazette, WV. “Mother, Daughter Die.” 4-12-1954, p. 3. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=40503820&sterm

Lima News, OH. “Five Children Die in Blaze.” 4-11-1954, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=84002483&sterm=columbia+fire+children

Logansport Pharos Tribune, IN. “Five Children Die in Blaze.” 4-10-1954, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=84002483&sterm=columbia+fire+children

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX. “Five Tots Perish in Alabama Fire.” 4-11-1954, p. 1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=107370089&sterm=fire+six+children

National Fire Protection Association. “Editorials. Still Our Greatest Human Challenge!” Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 3, Jan 1955, p. 193.