1972 — Jan 26, Green Nursing Home (ten patients) Fire, Lincoln Heights, OH –all 10

–10 Associated Press. “Aged Home Fire Claims 10th Victim.” Lima News, OH. 1-30-1972, p. 4.
–10 NFPA. “Multiple-Death Fires, 1972,” Fire Journal, Vol. 67, No. 3, May 1973, p. 71.
–10 NFPA. “Summary of Fire Deaths in Hospitals, Nursing Homes…Homes for the Aged.” 1979, p313.
–10 NFPA in U.S. Senate. Nursing Home Care in the United States. August 1975, p. 461.
–10 Wikipedia. “List of building or structure fires.” 1-22-2022 edit. Accessed 1-27-2022.

Narrative Information

National Fire Protection Association: “Fire took the lives of all ten patients at a home for the aged in Lincoln Heights, Ohio, on January 26. At 2:40 am, about 40 minutes after the attendant had dis¬covered smoke coming from fire in the basement, the Fire Department was notified by a neighbor when he saw flames breaking through the wall of the unsprinklered wood building.” (NFPA. “Multiple-Death Fires, 1972,” Fire Journal, Vol. 67, No. 3, May 1973, p. 71.)

U.S. Senate: “All 10 patients in the Green Nursing Home died in a fire which be¬gan at 2:40 a.m. on January 26, 1972. Only one LPN was on duty at the time. Upon the discovery of the fire, the attendant called the care-taker, who went to fight the fire and instructed the attendant to call the fire department. No such call was recorded by the fire department. A passing police car called in the message. The delay in reporting the fire was blamed for the high death toll. The cause of the fire was a mechanical failure or malfunction in the home’s heating system. The converted wood-frame residence had no fire detection system or other precautions, except portable fire extinguishers.” (U.S. Senate. Nursing Home Care in the United States. August 1975, p. 46.)

Newspapers

Jan 26: “Cincinnati, Ohio (AP) – At least nine persons perished early today in a fire that swept a nursing home in suburban Lincoln Heights. Lincoln Heights police said two persons escaped. One was identified as Cleo Nattker, apparently in her 20s and believed to be a nurse. She was burned seriously and taken to General Hospital. The other person who escaped was believed to be the woman operator of the home. There was no immediate word as to whether she was hurt.

“The fire started about 3 a.m. at Green Nursing Home. Firemen searched the ruins after daybreak but said they believed the nine bodies recovered were all who died. There was no definite word however as to how many persons were in the home at the time.

“Neighbors who spotted the fire said they could hear people screaming. Firemen said the frame structure was enveloped in flames by the time they arrived.

“….John Harris, assistant to the mayor, said the fire apparently started in the basement. But the cause was not immediately known.

“Representatives of the state fire marshal’s office were reported en route from Columbus to the scene.

“Lincoln Heights is a community at the north edge of Cincinnati along Interstate 75.” (Associated Press. “9 die in Cincy nursing home fire.” Times-Reporter, Dover, OH. 1-26-1972, p.1.)

Jan 27: “Cincinnati (AP) – A member of a White House commission late Wednesday described safety conditions as ‘atrocious’ at a nursing home here where nine died. Howard Tipton, executive director of President Nixon’s National Fire Prevention and Control Commission charged that the one floor, converted residence made of cinder blocks ‘should never have been used as a nursing home.’

“Robert Bland, commission…said President Nixon formed the commission to look into the rising number of multiple deaths in nursing home fires throughout the country. Both men flew back to Washington following their inspection.

“Fire officials noted that the Green Nursing Home did not have an automatic sprinkler system, nor had any fire drills been conducted by the operators….

“Rev. Prentice Brown, president of the Cincinnati Academy of Nursing Homes, and Gary Shepherd, Columbus, director of the Ohio Nursing Home Association, charged that the Lincoln Heights Fire Department took 35 minutes to respond less than a mile to the early morning fire. Both said lives probably would have been lost, but some might have been saved. James Brown, Lincoln Heights Safety Director, said the department arrived in 18 minutes. He said they were delayed by an engine breakdown and hampered by water pressure problems with the equipment. ‘If Evendale hadn’t come, the whole neighborhood would have burned up,’ said Mrs. Mary Brooks, a neighbor who turned in the first alarm.

“Sam Fraley, chief of the Ohio Nursing Home Board of Examin4rs said the home’s license had been renewed Jan. 12, and that the State Fire Marshal’s office reported no violations on its inspection April 26, 1971.

“Richard Lighner, executive assistant to the State Welfare Director, however, said the Green Nursing home failed ‘to meet standards for Medicaid and Medicare.’ He called it an ‘intermediate aid facility.’ Fred Breyer, Hamilton County Welfare Director, explained that an ‘intermediate aid home’ generally contains ambulatory patients who did not require skilled nursing care.

“The dead were listed as:

Pearl White, 35, 1401 John St., Cincinnati.
Eula B. Ogletree, 86, 567 Armory Ave., Cincinnati.
Mattie Wansickle, 74, 3246 Burnet Ave., Mt. Auburn.
Minnie Davis, 94, 3373 Reading Road, Avondale.
Sallie Jones, 68, listed as a patient t Longview Hospital.
Anna Graham, 78, 3544 Washington Ave., Avondale.
Addie Owens, 89, 1011 Adams St., Lincoln Heights.
Mary L. Edmondson, 77, 909 John St., Cincinnati.
Frances Smith, 79, 1419 Race St., Cincinnati.

“The home, licensed to care for 11 patients since 1966, received subsidies for care of welfare patients.” (Associated Press. “Safety Conditions ‘Atrocious’ Says Burned Out Building Not Fit For Nursing Home.” The Journal News, Hamilton, OH, 1-27-1972, p. 1.)

Jan 28: “Cincinnati (AP) – Plans for tougher legislation for nursing homes were argued today while a mass funeral service was planned in suburban Lincoln Heights for nine elderly women.

“Ohio Gov. John Gilligan planned to tour the site of the Green Nursing Home where nine of 10 patients died in a fire Wednesday morning. He said Thursday that an investigation showed the nursing home complied with state safely regulations, but added: ‘Obviously there are deficiencies both in our laws and our inspections.’

“….State Rep. Norman Murdock, R-Cincinnati, said he had taken initial steps toward drafting legislation ‘tightening up and updating’ state laws relating to the licensing of nursing homes. Murdock, chairman of the House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare, said he had asked the state fire marshal for recommendations on any changes in nursing home regulations, inspection procedures and enforcement. He said they would introduce the legislation in the current session of the Ohio General Assembly.

“In a separate statement Thursday the Ohio Nursing Home Association urged that the incident not be used as an excuse for tighter restrictions on the nursing home industry.” (Associated Press. “Nursing Homes Laws Pondered.” The Circleville Herald, OH. 1-28-1972, p. 1.)

Jan 29: “Cincinnati – An overheated furnace which probably would not have been discovered in a normal inspection caused the blaze which destroyed the Green Nursing Home in suburban Lincoln Heights Wednesday and claimed the lives of nine elderly women patients, state Fire Marshal Robert Lynch ruled yesterday. ‘The high limit control on the furnace was inoperative and the entire system was running on manual control’ Lynch said. Because the furnace was on manual control it continued to run until it finally overheated, he said. ‘They had a repairman in there at 11 p.m. Tuesday night,’ said Lynch. ‘The furnace was blowing fuses and it thought it was the motor. But it turned out to be the high limit control switch. ‘He needed a new switch to repair it properly. He worked until about 12:30 a.m. and then apprised the nursing home of the situation.’….The repairman said he told them the furnace was on manual control and would have to be watched.

“The furnace burst into flames two and a half hours later. A janitor who lived several doors down the street was summoned by Mary Green about 70 to investigate the smoke. He tried to extinguish the flames with two fire extinguishers before giving up and calling the Lincoln Heights Fire Department.

“The governor who said he would ask the General Assembly to pass legislation upgrading fire regulations noted the Green Nursing Home was not among the list of 123 deficient facilities in Ohio. Mary Gregory ran a good home and met all state requirements, he said….The state is moving as rapidly as possible according to the governor to bring all nursing homes up to state standards.” (Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH. “Nursing home blaze in Cincinnati area linked to overheated furnace.” 1-29-1972, p. 6.)

Jan 30: “Cincinnati (AP) – The lone surviving patient of the Green Nursing Home fire died Saturday [Jan 29], bringing the toll to 10. Cle Hankerson, 65, the only patient to be rescued, died at General Hospital. She had been in critical condition with burns since the early Wednesday morning fire. Nine other patients died in their beds after an overheated furnace engulfed the one-story, converted residence, in flames.

“A night nurse escaped the fire, as did Mary Green, 70, the owner and her 16-year-old grandson. They lived at a rear annex to the cinder-block building.

“Ohio Fire Marshal Robert Lynch reported the furnace overheated after it had been allowed to run on manual control. Had the furnace been manually turned off frequently, or the automatic switch been on, he said, there would have been no fire. Direct responsibility for the fire has not yet been determined. The state fire marshal said he had received conflicting testimony, and investigations were continuing.” (Associated Press. “Aged Home Fire Claims 10th Victim.” Lima News, OH. 1-30-1972, p. 4.)

Sources

Associated Press. “9 die in Cincy nursing home fire.” Times-Reporter, Dover, OH. 1-26-1972, p.1. Accessed 1-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/dover-times-reporter-jan-26-1972-p-1/

Associated Press. “Aged Home Fire Claims 10th Victim.” Lima News, OH. 1-30-1972, p. 4. Accessed 1-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lima-news-jan-30-1972-p-4/

Associated Press. “Nursing Homes Laws Pondered.” The Circleville Herald, OH. 1-28-1972, p. 1. Accessed 1-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/circleville-herald-jan-28-1972-p-2/

Associated Press. “Safety Conditions ‘Atrocious’ Says Burned Out Building Not Fit For Nursing Home.” The Journal News, Hamilton, OH, 1-27-1972, p. 1. Accessed 1-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/journal-news-jan-27-1972-p-33/

Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH. “Nursing home blaze in Cincinnati area linked to overheated furnace.” 1-29-1972, p. 6. Accessed 1-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/elyria-chronicle-telegram-jan-29-1972-p-6/

National Fire Protection Association. “Multiple-Death Fires, 1972,” Fire Journal, Vol. 67, No. 3, May 1973, pp. 71-74 & 102.

National Fire Protection Association. “Summary of Fire Deaths in Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Homes for the Aged [1921-1978 list].” In: United States Congress, House of Representatives. Boarding Home Fires: The Tip of the Iceberg (Hearing before the Subcommittee on Health and Long Term Care, Select Committee on Aging, 96th Congress, First Session, April 25, 1979). Washington, DC, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1979, pp. 312-314. Accessed 1-27-2022 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=hyotAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

United States Senate, Special Committee on Aging, Subcommittee on Long-Term Care. Nursing Home Care in the United States: Failure in Public Policy. Supporting Paper No. 5, The Continuing Chronicle of Nursing Home Fires. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, August 1975. Accessed 1-24-2022 at: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Nursing_Home_Care_in_the_United_States_T/LJeuVO1d9k0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Nursing+Home+Care+in+the+United+States%22&printsec=frontcover

Wikipedia. “List of building or structure fires.” 1-22-2022 edit. Accessed 1-27-2022 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_building_or_structure_fires#1970s