2007 — Jan 13, Fire, Emmons Jr. Apartment Building, Huntington, WV — 9
— 9 Cumberland Times-News, MD. “Investigators pinpoint origin of…blaze.” 1-18-2007, p.10.
— 9 Fields. “Recent fires bring back…” Daily Independent, Ashland, KY, 1-19-2007.
— 9 Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, WV. “Gallery: Remembering the Emmons…” 1-14-2013.
— >8 Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV. “Chief: No sprinklers in building…” 1-16-2007, A8.
— >7 Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV. “Death count could grow in fatal blaze.” 1-15-2007, p. 1.
Narrative Information
Herald-Dispatch, Huntington: “A fire at the Emmons Jr. apartment building started about 11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007, and killed nine people. Flames raced through the building, destroying it and the neighboring Emmons Sr. apartment building.
“Federal, state and local authorities investigated the fire several days, but no cause was determined.
“The emergency response featured firefighters making heroic efforts to save lives. Some people could be seen hanging out the windows calling for help.
“The victims were
Joseph Szilvasi;
Briar Harmon, 40;
Mary Biss, 69;
Ann F. Saleh and her 7-year-old son, Seth Justus;
Beatrice Devore Yancey, 45; and siblings
Ben Lucas, 19, Angel Lucas, 17, and Quentin Lucas, 14.”
(Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, WV. “Gallery: Remembering the Emmons Fire, Jan. 13, 2007.” 1-14-2013.)
Newspapers at the time
Jan 15: “Huntington (AP) — Fire ravaged an apartment building, killing at least seven people, including a child, and authorities said Sunday [Jan 14] that they feared the death count could grow. The fire broke out in the 64-unit, five-story building late Saturday [Jan 13].
“Two adults were declared dead at the scene and a child died on the way to the hospital. When fire crews re-entered the building on Sunday, they found four more bodies, Fire Chief Greg Fuller said. All seven were found on the building’s top floor. “We have not been able to complete
the search,” Fuller said. He said some of the fifth floor was blocked because the building’s roof and part of the floor had collapsed. “It’s going to be a grueling, arduous wait for some people unfortunately,” Fuller said.
“Fourteen people were rescued from the building, Fuller said, and four were listed in serious or critical condition Sunday afternoon. One firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation and released Saturday night.
“Fuller said there were some smoke alarms in the building, but he was unsure how many were working at the time of the fire. Fuller was not aware of any fire code violations at the building. The building, which was built in 1924, provides housing for city residents and Marshall University students. Fuller said the building is owned by Woodlark Enterprises Inc., a White Plains, N.Y.-based group that owns a number of Huntington buildings. A message left at the company was not immediately returned.
“Firefighters had called off their search for trapped residents during the night out of fear the structure could collapse, city Fire Marshal David Bias said. “It’s a very sad day,” Bias said. “It’s very troubling when you have a building of this size and you work as hard as they have and you just come up a little short.”
“Fuller called it the worst fire in nearly 50 years in the Ohio River city.
“The fire was reported around 11 p.m. Saturday. Fire departments from nearby Ohio and Kentucky also responded.
“Bias said it could take days to determine the cause of the blaze that began in a second-floor unit. From that apartment, flames and smoke shot up utility access channels to the upper floors, Fuller said.
“Resident Dreama Tackit said her family made it out safely. “All I heard was people screaming, ‘Get my baby out of here!'” Tackit said. “And then it was like ‘Run! Run! Run!'”
“Patricia Betts said she arrived home to find smoke filling her apartment. “My brother was in my apartment watching our kids and smoke started coming from the closet. They were outside in the hallway sitting on the steps when I got home,” she said. “We opened the door and smoke was everywhere. Then my whole apartment just blew up.”….” (Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV. “Death count could grow in fatal blaze.” 1-15-2007, pp. 1 and 3.)
Jan 16: “Huntington (AP) – There was no sprinkler system in the five-story apartment building
where fire killed at least eight people, including a 7-year-old boy, fire officials said Monday. “I think they would have made a huge difference,” Huntington Fire Chief Greg Fuller said at a morning news conference. While sprinklers are not required under state law, smoke alarms are, and investigators were checking whether the circa-1924 building was in compliance. Several smoke alarms were found, Fuller said.
“Two people remained missing Monday.
“….Fuller said firefighters found three bodies Saturday and four more Sunday, all on the top story. Another person died Monday at Cabell Huntington Hospital, Huntington police said. Two other people remained in serious condition Monday at the hospital and a third was released, hospital spokeswoman Kathy Cosco said. Fire officials identified seven victims as
Mary Biss, 68;
Beatrice Yancy, no age;
Seth Justas, 7, and
his mother, Ann Saleh; and
siblings Ben A. Lucas, 19,
Angel R. Lucas, 17, and
Quentin Lucas, 14.
The name of the eighth victim, a male, has not been released.
“Fuller said the building’s roof and part of that floor had collapsed, hampering search efforts. Twenty-four people were rescued, Fuller said.
“….Fuller said the building is owned by Woodlark Enterprises Inc., a White Plains, N.Y.-based group that owns a number of Huntington buildings….
“”There’s nothing more devastating. It’s just an unbelievable experience,” Gov. Joe Manchin said. “West Virginia’s not that large. We are family and it affects every one of us,” he said….
“An apartment building next door suffered smoke and water damage….
“The burned building is located on one of Huntington’s, busiest thoroughfares. Officials said it would be several days before the street would be reopened for traffic.” Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV. “Chief: No sprinklers in building where fire killed 8. Two people still missing.” 1-16-2007, A8.)
Jan 18: “Charleston, W.Va. — The origin of a weekend fire that killed nine people in a five-story apartment building in Huntington has been pinpointed to a second-floor closet, fire officials said Wednesday. The cause of Saturday’s fire has not been determined. “The investigation teams continue to eliminate possible causes of the fire systematically, but have determined that the origin of the fire was apartment 103, on the second floor of the building,” said Huntington Fire Chief Greg Fuller. “The origin was in the area of the closet in that apartment.”
“Fire ravaged the 64-unit building in downtown Huntington and a number of people were rescued with the aid of fire-truck ladders.
“Three bodies were found Saturday and four on Sunday, all on the top floor. A man’s body was discovered Monday, the same day another person died at Cabell Huntington Hospital. Authorities have identified the victims as follows:
45-year-old Beatrice Devore Yancey;
69-year-old Mary Biss;
Ann Francis Saleh and
her 7-year-old son Seth Justus;
19-year-old Ben Lucas, his
17-year-old sister Angel and
14-year-old brother Quinton;
41-year-old Joseph Szilvasi and
40-year-old Joseph Harmon.
Saleh’s age was not available.
“As of Wednesday afternoon, two people remained at Cabell Huntington Hospital, with one person still in serious condition. Another person was upgraded from serious to good condition and was expected to be released Wednesday evening, hospital spokeswoman Kathy Cosco said.” (Cumberland Times-News, MD. “Investigators pinpoint origin of…blaze.” 1-18-2007, p. 10.)
Jan 23, Associated Press: “Charleston — After a deadly fire at a Huntington apartment building that killed nine, state Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis wants lawmakers and fire officials to start thinking about making sprinkler systems mandatory in some buildings.” (Cumberland Times-News, MD. “Mountain State Headlines.” 1-23-2007, p. 1.)
Feb 3: “Charleston — Understaffed and underpaid, state fire marshals say they are struggling to keep pace with 29 fire-related deaths that have occurred in West Virginia since Dec. 9. From propane explosions to apartment fires, the Fire Marshal’s office is tasked with finding the causes of deadly fires, in addition to myriad other fire safety and inspection tasks.
“At least two major investigations are ongoing: Tuesday’s propane explosion that killed four people and injured five others in Ghent and the Jan. 13 fire at an apartment building in Huntington that killed nine. Many of the investigators assigned to the Huntington incident were dispatched to Ghent on Tuesday. “Our agency is a very small agency with very big responsibilities,” said Kim O’Brien, spokeswoman for the Fire Marshal’s office. “I definitely think that an increase in the fire marshals, as far as the employees are concerned, would assist them.”
“Of the office’s 28 workers, 12 are inspectors and 12 are investigators state Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis said. “Propane tanks are only a very minimal part of their inspections,” Lewis said.
“While it is mandatory for propane tanks to be inspected upon installation thousands across the state have never been inspected because their owners or installers did not notify the Fire Marshal’s office, he said.” (Cumberland Times-News, MD. “Fire marshals struggle to keep pace.” 2-3-2007, 9A.)
Sources
Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV. “Chief: No sprinklers in building where fire killed 8. Two people still missing.” 1-16-2007, p. A8. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=91243077&sterm
Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV. “Death count could grow in fatal blaze. At least seven perish in Huntington apartment building.” 1-15-2007, pp. 1 and 3. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=91243065&sterm
Cumberland Times-News, MD (Shaya Tayefe Mohajer, AP). “Fire marshals struggle to keep pace.” 2-3-2007, 9A. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=100098790&sterm
Cumberland Times-News, MD (Shaya Tayefe Mohajer, AP). “Investigators pinpoint origin of…blaze.” 1-18-2007, p. 10. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=91345486&sterm
Cumberland Times-News, MD. “Mountain State Headlines.” 1-23-2007, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=97434966&sterm
Fields, Ben. “Recent fires bring back the nightmares.” Daily Independent, Ashland, KY, 1-19-2007. Accessed 12-26-2013: http://www.dailyindependent.com/local/x1192751764/Recent-fires-bring-back-the-nightmares/print
Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, WV. “Gallery: Remembering the Emmons Fire, Jan. 13, 2007.” 1-14-2013. Accessed 12-28-2013: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/multimedia/galleries/historicalphotos/x808407578/Gallery-Emmons-Fire-Jan-13-2007