Tweet
Tarpon Springs Fla--Bedroom Fire Displaces Family
What the story does not elude to is that the fire was set by a small child playing with matches who had set toilet paper on fire not long ago at school.
______________
St. Petersburg Times--North Pinellas
Bedroom fire leaves family homeless, but uninjured
By CANDACE RONDEAUX, Times Staff Writer
Published October 14, 2003
TARPON SPRINGS - A fire in the bedroom of a Lincoln Avenue home late Monday afternoon did roughly $50,000 in damage, Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue officials said. No one was hurt. The fire broke out shortly before 5:30 p.m. in a one-story home at 532 Lincoln Ave. S. Although no flames were immediately apparent, neighbors saw a thick, black cloud of smoke rising from the home and called 911.
Firefighters arrived within minutes and had the blaze under control about 40 minutes later, officials said.
Officials did not have the names of anyone living at the house, but public records and a neighbor identified the homeowner as Rosa Small.
Two people were at the house when the fire broke out, said Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue Chief Kevin Bowman. No one was injured, although paramedics examined the two, Bowman said. The Red Cross helped the family secure clothing, meals and a hotel room, he said.
Small was not available for comment Monday, but neighbors said she was devastated by the blaze.
"She seemed scared and nervous," neighbor Robert Cole said. "She's been living in that house all her life and had just had a bunch of work done on it."
The house sustained heavy damage from smoke and water used to put out the fire, Bowman said. Fire officials were still investigating the cause of the blaze Monday evening.
"They're going to have to do a lot of restoration on the inside of the house," Bowman said. "The family will not be able to live there for a while."
- Researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report.
______________
St. Petersburg Times--North Pinellas
Bedroom fire leaves family homeless, but uninjured
By CANDACE RONDEAUX, Times Staff Writer
Published October 14, 2003
TARPON SPRINGS - A fire in the bedroom of a Lincoln Avenue home late Monday afternoon did roughly $50,000 in damage, Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue officials said. No one was hurt. The fire broke out shortly before 5:30 p.m. in a one-story home at 532 Lincoln Ave. S. Although no flames were immediately apparent, neighbors saw a thick, black cloud of smoke rising from the home and called 911.
Firefighters arrived within minutes and had the blaze under control about 40 minutes later, officials said.
Officials did not have the names of anyone living at the house, but public records and a neighbor identified the homeowner as Rosa Small.
Two people were at the house when the fire broke out, said Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue Chief Kevin Bowman. No one was injured, although paramedics examined the two, Bowman said. The Red Cross helped the family secure clothing, meals and a hotel room, he said.
Small was not available for comment Monday, but neighbors said she was devastated by the blaze.
"She seemed scared and nervous," neighbor Robert Cole said. "She's been living in that house all her life and had just had a bunch of work done on it."
The house sustained heavy damage from smoke and water used to put out the fire, Bowman said. Fire officials were still investigating the cause of the blaze Monday evening.
"They're going to have to do a lot of restoration on the inside of the house," Bowman said. "The family will not be able to live there for a while."
- Researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report.