1969 — April 5, gasoline explosion/fire, house, Oakwood Bayou community ~Dumas, AR–10
–10 AP. “10 Persons Die as Fire Levels Dumas House.” Northwest Arkansas Times, 4-7-1969, 1
–10 National Fire Protection Assoc. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003).
–10 NFPA. “The Major Fires of 1969,” Fire Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, May 1970, p. 38.
Narrative Information
NFPA: “On April 5, 10 victims perished in Oakwood Bayou, Arkansas, when fire swept their two-story frame home. The owner of the house awoke in the night and attempted to start a fire in a stove. He apparently mistook a can of gasoline for kerosene, and the gasoline exploded when he attempted to use it in the stove. Since the house was still under construction, many of the partitions were not in place; thus the fire spread rapidly throughaout the building.” (NFPA. “The Major Fires of 1969,” Fire Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, May 1970, p. 38.)
Newspaper
April 7: “Dumas, Ark. (AP) – Ten persons, including five children, were killed late Saturday night when an explosion touched off a fire that destroyed an 11-room frame home about five miles northeast of here. The home was located in the Oakwood Bayou Community.
“Sheriff Robert Moore of Desha County said Alec Tenner was the only survivor of the fire. Moore said Tenner told him the explosion occurred when he attempted to light a wood stove in the living room of the home with kerosene.
“Tenner, who was hospitalized at Dumas, was pulled from the home by Roy Pugh of Star City, who heard the explosion.
“Moore said the 10 victims were cut off from the front door of the home by a wall of fire. Moore said the two other doors to safety were blocked.
“Authorities identified the victims as Betty Fells, 19, of near Dumas; Azalee Robinson, 25, of Oakwood Bayou; Ruby Robinson, 24, of near Dumas; Tenner’s brother, Melvin Parker, 12, of Oakwood Bayou; Reginald Norman, 11, of Oakwood; Joe Lewis Parker, 32, and his wife, Laura Jean, 27, of Kansas City, Mo.; Kenney E. Parker, 5, Jackie Parker, 3, and Janice Parker, 2, all of Kansas City.
“Moore said all of the victims except Norman were related and had gotten together for the Easter holiday. He said that normally two persons live in the home.” (Associated Press. “10 Persons Die as Fire Levels Dumas House.” Northwest Arkansas Times, 4-7-1969, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “10 Persons Die as Fire Levels Dumas House.” Northwest Arkansas Times, 4-7-1969, p. 1. Accessed 5-21-2015 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/arkansas/fayetteville/northwest-arkansas-times/1969/04-07?tag=fire+oakwood+bayou&rtserp=tags/fire?psi=7&pci=7&ndt=bd&pd=5&pm=4&py=1969&pe=10&pem=4&pey=1969&pep=oakwood-bayou/
National Fire Protection Association. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003). (Email attachment to B. W. Blanchard from Jacob Ratliff, NFPA Archivist/Taxonomy Librarian, 7-8-2013.)
National Fire Protection Association. “The Major Fires of 1969,” Fire Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, May 1970, pp. 37-40.