Friday, June 29, 2012
A family of eight was displaced and two firefighters were injured
today while battling a fire for nearly an hour in suburban Lake Worth.
Palm
Beach County Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to the 4300 block of
Wilkinson Drive at 2:42 p.m. after the house’s residents reported an
electrical fire.
As they neared the home, crews reported that they
could see smoke plumes from about a block away. When they arrived, they
reported black smoke and fire coming from the right side of the home.
At least one person received treatment for heat exhaustion at the scene, said Capt. Lee Forshner, spokesman for fire rescue.
Operational
Captain Mickey Ezell also said two firefighters were hurt battling the
blaze, and that one of them was taken to the hospital.
Investigators
were sent to the scene to determine the origin of the fire. But
14-year-old Yole Florvilus said it all started when an iron she had
plugged into an electrical outlet sparked.
She said she ran to her
older cousin for help, but by the time the two returned to the room,
the outlet had caught fire. Yole said they called 911, and as they
waited, they tried throwing water on the fire then smothering the fire
with a blanket.
“The fire just came from the wall and went towards my bed,” Yole said.
She said she suffered a minor burn on her hand from the incident.
