Candle Fire Tragedy

“Yikes. I was talking to a friend about him and his wife joining us for my hike next Saturday up Mt. Willey to commemorate 9/11. His wife and my wife are old and dear friends. They wanted to support and join in on my return to the mountains after my fire, which began with my sons candle. Also today, my wife and I were talking about a story in the news: a woman in a nearby town died in a fire last night. Her husband is in critical condition. They lived in a 3rd floor condo, and the fire started with a candle on the first floor. Just a few minutes ago, I learned that the victim was someone my wife knew and was best friend and co-author to the wife of the guy I was talking to about hiking Willey. The story already struck close to home. So, please keep this family in your prayers - be careful with candles and make sure you know what you would do if you woke up to a fire.”

“I should add, the woman who died was an avid hiker and rock climber despite being in her 60s. Here is the news account:

Woman dies in Brookline condo fire
Man critically injured; candle blamed in blaze
By Megan Tench and John Ellement, Globe Staff | September 4, 2004

BROOKLINE -- A fast-moving blaze shot up to a third-floor apartment early yesterday, killing a woman in her 60s and leaving a man critically injured, officials said. The fire that started on a first-floor porch was blamed on an unattended candle, said Brookline Fire Chief John D. Green.

An autopsy found that the woman died from the heat and the inhalation of poisonous gases, said David Traub, spokesman for Norfolk District Attorney William R. Keating. Officials have tentatively confirmed the name of the woman, but she was so badly burned that dental records are being collected to confirm her identity.

The man, whose name also was not released, was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment of injuries caused by smoke inhalation. Police said he is expected to survive.

The fire broke out inside the three-story brick condominium building on Pleasant Street around 4 a.m. Firefighters from Boston, Cambridge, and Newton joined the Brookline crews in fighting the three-alarm blaze, but rescuers could not reach the victims in the third-floor condominium in time. The man was found in the bedroom and the woman on a landing in the apartment.

The state fire marshal's office determined that a lit candle on the first-floor porch started the blaze, Green said. A woman who lives alone in the first-floor apartment apparently sleeps on the enclosed porch during the summer months, he said.

"She woke up to a fire," he said.

She tried to put it out using a blanket, he said. But when that did not work, she ran to the kitchen to get some water.

The blaze was overwhelming, Green said, explaining that it shot up from the porches on the front side of the building and through an open third-floor window. The second-floor residents were not home at the time, he said, and their windows were closed, but the fire ripped through that condominium as well.

While battling the blaze, Brookline firefighters went along Pleasant Street, rousting residents from their beds to prevent further injuries if the fire spread, residents and officials said.

Lauren E. O'Donnell, 20, was the first of five roommates awakened by pounding and shouting at the door of her apartment two doors away from the fire scene. She was fumbling with the latch and told the firefighter outside to wait while she got a roommate to help open the door.

"We don't have any time! Stand back!" the firefighter told O'Donnell, then kicked open the door and escorted her and her roommates, including Christopher M. Kuenze and Suksa Sueksagan, outside.

Sueksagan, 20, a Boston University student, said she turned toward the burning building and was awed by the ferocity and intensity of the fire. "It was like a bonfire," she said.

Kuenze, also 20 and a BU student, said, "The house was engulfed. Fire was coming out of all three levels. It was like an inferno."

Some neighbors expressed surprise that they did not hear the alarms of smoke detectors. Green said firefighters found detectors but did not know if they were working. But he said, "There was so much fire, it was so active, that there was little smoke."

Later yesterday, the red brick of the burned building was coated with heavy black soot and the sky was visible through what was once the ceiling of the third-floor residence.

In 2002, there were 208 candle fires in the state that were reported to the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System, according to the fire marshal's office. Those fires caused three civilian deaths, 20 civilian injuries, 22 firefighter injuries, and an estimated $4.3 million in damages.

Half of all the candle fires start in bedrooms, and more than 90 percent occur in private homes.”

“That sucks, praying for them.”

“Terrible to hear.

My best wishes for them and their friends and family.”

“A horrible tragedy. I send my thoughts and prayers. Life is fragile and easily taken.

I'm grateful you're still with us Pedxing!!”

“Sunshine, it does make me feel blessed. I've offered to visit with the husband when he comes to and is ready for visitors - I can't know what it's like to lose a wife so suddenly. I remember how grateful I was to know when I came to that everyone was OK, to have woken up to learn I'd lost someone would have been very hard to take. But, maybe - having survived a fire also, I can provide some support.”

“A candle is what started a small fire in my home many years ago. One was burning on the coffee table (a taper on a holder - it was halloween decor) as I was cleaning in another room. The cat knocked it over (with his tail, I presumed). Some paper on the coffee table caught fire. And, when I came in and attempted to put that out, the burning paper bits scattered on the carpet. And of course, as carpet will do, it started to burn pretty quickly. I opted to stomp it out w/ the palm of my hand instead of running to another room for a fire extinguisher. (I've always heard how quickly fire could spread and I guess I panicked). Ended up w/ third degree burn on my hand. Quite minimal when considering the alternatives... It all took place in a matter of seconds. I'm just glad I walked into the living room when I did.

I used to say "dumb cat" but, I guess the truth is, I was a dumb human for leaving the candle unattended. I guess I never really considered it unattended as I was in the house. But, I learned that being in the house and being in the same room are very different.

All of the candles I burn now are in containers so the flame is never exposed, and the shapes of the candle holders make them far less likely to get knocked over.”

“Ped, thats a wise statement: "make sure you know what you would do if you woke up to a fire"

Honestly, I never thought of that before, but today I gave it a minute of my time. thanks for the reminder”

“That's just downright scary, and bizarre that you knew them. I'm thinking good thoughts for them.

See you next weekend.”

“Ped...thank you for the reminder. I know that your situation definitely made me rethink my typical "pyro" tendencies...i.e. candles burning around the house like it's the great American blackout or something. I am much more aware of what I burn (and, as Tarabull pointed out, in what containor) and where.

So glad you're still around, D. Words can't even describe...”

“Thanks all. Looks like my friend will join us on FoT48. Knowing that it was fire that killed many of the WTC victims, and reading about the WTC survivors ant their treatment, I feel a renewed connection to the event.

The weirdness of the coincidence - and the sense of kinship to people who lost so much more than I did, will be foremost in my mind as I do my first real hike in 7 months and raise the flag on 9/11/04.”

“I'm glad this will help in the healing process, pedxing. I'm honored that I'll be doing the hike with you.”

“I thought I'd pull this thread up again. It's what inspired me to agree to do the interview that CBS will use Friday Morning for a story on candle fires(about 7:30 EST on the Early Show - I described this on the "how backpacking saved my life thread"). I'd refused to go on camera for a TV news report earlier.
last edited: 12/09/04 3:18:58 PM”

“awww..I will be at work.......and informing people about the danger is GREAT...I talked to my daughter today....she and her fiance went to a funeral last eve....a couple of young folks who died in a trailer fire...( not sure how it started....) she said it was horrible....and so sad....but it makes ya stop and think first how fragile we are...and how we need to be more careful with candles, and how important fire extinguishers and smoke alarms are......

Thanks Ped.......I am thankful you are ok....I am sure you still have a long way to go....and each time you post, it reminds me of how blessed we are to have you here....and makes me count my own blessings...hugs”

“Just saw a candle fire on tv. They were using them to heat the house (????) That's what was said. They burnt down the house, but no one was injured.”

“Thanks Divinity. When I heard about the people who died in a different candle fire - so close physically and sharing a common circle of friends, it made me feel lucky - very literally it was "there but for fortune." If those kids hadn't known to breathe through their pillows, they might have passed out - it would have taken me longer to find them, and longer to get them out - and all three of us could have been gone. That little bit of knowledge on their part - and the fact that they thought to use that knowledge - may have saved my life. So passing on some knowledge in this regard can only be a good thing.”

“By chance, I'm home tomorrow. I'll try to get my carcass out of the rack and watch.”

“I'll be watching, ped.”

“Good job, David! Our own pedxing on national TV!”

“I just saw the story Ped. Good work. I don't think I want to use candles anymore. Hopefully, sharing your story will help save lives.”

“Yes, I saw it. It's just now was on.
Gosh Pedxing...honestly u looked like crap, glad to see you recover like u did.

Yes, good job. Hope everyone realizes that candles indeed are a danger and need to be watched carefully. I can' tell you how much I left the house forgetting about a burning candle, or how many times I leave a burning candle unattended. ( I still do that...)”

“I saw it - I felt that they did it well. I have definite reservations about the "hero" thing - and I didn't "scoop up" the kids (unless that's a metaphor) - I got the door open and led them out.

Really though, it was a public service and they did it well.”

“I saw the show this morning. Glad to see you are healing from your injuries Ped. The show was very informative and makes you think before starting what amounts to a small fire in your home and allowing it to burn. Thanks for doing the show. I just bought a bunch of holiday candles, but I don't think I will light them now.
last edited: 12/10/04 8:08:50 AM”

“I never watch TV in the morning so I turned it on to watch. Wouldn't you know it our local station doesn't carry the CBS Early Show. They do there own thing.

Sorry I missed it.”

“Ped, your actions that day speak for you. People will look at you as a hero, because those of us who have not been through what you encountered that day do not know how we would have reacted. It was clear headed thinking, at great risk to you as it turned out. Ellen and the kids will tell you that you are a hero.

Doing the piece took courage too, perhaps not the same kind of courage, but courage nevertheless. On the day of the fire, you saved three lives. Today you undoubtedly saved a lot more. That, sir, is a substantial contribution to our world.

We BS on this board, step on one another's feelings, and generally act immaturely. And that's okay, because this is interaction between people with something in common, wicked senses of humor, and over time, acceptance. But I have learned that in life's emergencies, we truly are a caring community. The concern we felt for you after the fire continues, but you have to understand that we all admire you and appreciate you.

Life will not give you a pass for what you have done. In fact, your health will doubtlessly suffer for it. You will continue to have ups and downs, as we all do. But I have no doubt that you will rise everytime.

Thanks again for doing what you did, for being you, and for your amazing recovery. It's good to have you back. Seeing your screen name appear makes us glad.

I hope you will always rest secure in the love of family and friends.”

“"Early Show" is on here from 7-9 - time to go set the VCR....”

“Here's the link to the news story. Sorry, I don't know how to hyperlink this.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/09/earlyshow/contributors/tracysmith/main660125.shtml”

“Hmmmm, I guess the link worked.”

“Thanks for the link creek - it's nice that you can get the text and the video. They did spell my wife's name wrong.”

“What Geo said.


I forgot to set the VCR too.

I'll have to force my wife to watch that linked segment... over and over until it finally sinks in.”

“Thanks for the kind words Geo.”

“Hey man, I'm glad you're around to read them. You did have us worried there for a time.”

“Just watched the video.......Ped ya did a GREAT job and it really hit home seeing the pic of you in the hospital.....Geo said everything better than I ever could......You and your family are blessed...YOU are a hero in my book....and WE are blessed to have you in TT!!!”

“Pedxing, that was a good report on a good thing you did. Last christmas we got a set of candles, with a plate, the size of a large dinner plate. We didn't quite know what to do with the plate. Then of course, we thought of you, and liked the idea of a way oversized candle holder. But to be honest, we haven't used the candles too much at all. Just thinking of you, gives us pause. If in fact we do use them, they will be in that large plate, and on a safe non combustible material, over a non combustible floor, etc....

In any case, good job, and keep on!”

“Nicely put, Geo.
And, I agree.”

“ped, my Early Show was only one hour, so maybe that's why your segment was not shown. I just saw your piece from the link posted here. I didn't expect you to look so good in the video after what you went through, but you look great!

I think you are a hero beyond words to want to go back in to save the dog after what you went through to get everyone out. I know from your story that you found out the dog got out safely.”

“great story and a great accomplishment...what geo said.

thanks cd for posting the link.

I've been and still am an avid candle burner, but I've always been sensitive to the issue, ever since a tapesty lit on fire while in college. Ever since then, I'm VERY conscience of the downside. Thanks.”

“I'm not telling anyone not to use candles - just to be aware. There are plenty more dangerous things I do, like driving - it's all a question of keeping risks under control and eliminating the risks that aren't worth it to us.”

“If you'll excuse my obsessing this is from an email I wrote to the producer:

I hope the "hero" angle isn't played up too much. I had been up at 4AM the morning before to go snow shoeing and had gone to bed early, exhausted and burnt out. At 5:30 AM, I responded to the crisis in my exhausted state with a series of actions some that embarass me and some that I feel pride for.

For example: the first thing to do in a fire is make sure people are safe. As a member of a Hospital staff, we had the sequence drummed into us: the first step is to make sure people are safe. Then you deal with the fire, if at all. It didn't enter my mind that Jacob was in the house and I did not think to check. This can be excused somewhat. I was wiped out. Jacob stays with his Dad half the week and that includes every other Saturday night (the fire happened at about 5:30AM Sunday morning) . He hadn't been with us Friday night and if he was around between the time I got home and when I went to bed, I don't and didn't remember at the time. Also, we hadn't had a household meeting, when Ellen and her sons moved in the (summer 2003) about fire evacuation plans - something everyone should do, or reviewed the location of fire extinguishers with everyone. In sum, the events that led to my getting hurt were not out of my control and while I am proud of how I acted in that context, I could have prevented that context from arising. I think it is a tribute to the amazing woman that Ellen is that she sees the whole picture - but (like the famous gestalt picture of the two faces and the vase) sees the heroic as the foreground.

In all this personalizing there are 3 lessons aside from candle safety: a) people first, b) plan and rehearse, c) review safety resources (where are the fire extinguishers? ).”

“I checked back to this thread hoping there would be a link. Thanks for the link.

That was very powerful to watch. For those of us who've watched this from afar the video was really something else. I forwarded this to my wife. She keeps a candle burning on the kitchen counter fairly often. I point out that it's not a good idea to have this under the overhang of the cabinets. I get the eye roll. Maybe that video will convince her I'm not nuts.

Thanks for having the courage to go on TV and tell your story. This had to be pretty traumatic for teenagers to go through. I hope they are doing well too.”

“Ped, you are a hero and, both as an audience member watching it and as a media person, I'd say they didn't overdo the hero angle.

You did what you had to and could. You didn't run away in fear of a fire. Sure, there are things that you -- and any of us -- could do ahead of time in preparation for such a day. I don't think there's any possible way we could be prepared for all the odd, yet horrible things life throws at us.

Thanks for what you did then and what you did a day ago with this piece on the national news.”

“Thinking straight in an emergency is not a matter of being a hero or a coward. Sometimes the brain neurons missfire.

Some kid lit a pile of leaves and trash that wind had thrown up against our building. There was an electrical line runniing up the outside of the building, and the fire was close to it. I ran inside trying to figure out how to get water to through on the fire. As I was going through the thought process, another worker grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran outside. I grabbed another and ran out behind him.

We knocked down the fire until the Fire Dept. arrived and saved the electrical line. But if the other guy had not had the presence of mind to grab the extinguisher, I wonder how long it would have taken me to realize that we had no way to carry water out to the fire.

Sometimes it takes awhile for our brains, acting in an emergency situation, to process the information that leads to action, and the action may or may not be the right action at the time. Even trained firefighters make mistakes.

Ped, I hope you see where this is headed. You did what you did. You saved lives at great cost to yourself. You're still a person who lives an imperfect life, but don't beat yourself up for what might have been done differently. You acted selflessly in a situation where some people might have gotten their hides out of there and spent eternity mourning the loss of the kids. That happens every day. It's on the news almost every night. So in a sense, that makes you a hero. Heroes are not always perfect, but they still did what they did.”

“Thanks Geo and Lizs.
And dayhiker thanks, too. The kids, now 13 (12 @ the time) do kind of want to forget about it. My step-son didn't want CBS to get a picture of him, or to appear on camera - he doesn't want to be known as that kid in the fire.”

“ped, you think you did what any other person would have done, but you would be wrong to say that. There was a house fire (not from candles), and the guy was trying to hose the thing out while his kid was inside. A neighbor that he did not know from across the street went in to get the man's son out. The neighbor went in and the smoke was too much, came out, then went back in again to get him.”

“my station had their own thing on for the first hour too. i got up early and everything. then, i didn't realize i wasn't going to see it so i watched the news for almost 2 hours. at least now i know how to care for my christmas tree. i also know the weather for the whole country on friday.”

“Thanks for the link-- that is very sobering!
You did a great service in spreading the word about candle fires to the nation via the media. Again, like others have said, many times, I've lit candles and not really thought much about them (i.e. lit it in another room to "freshen" the room and then walked away... I will now think twice before doing it in the future!!”