A report from the Toledo Fire Department on a fatal West Toledo fire last
month states that the apartment where a man died — and where his body was found
in the rubble of the demolished building — wasn’t searched until after an
evacuation order was given.
month states that the apartment where a man died — and where his body was found
in the rubble of the demolished building — wasn’t searched until after an
evacuation order was given.
The three-page report, HERE: http://tinyurl.com/7tw5mnm
states that residents of the 12-unit building who were interviewed at the
onset of the Jan. 13 fire told authorities that everyone was out of the
three-story building.
“We rely on primarily the folks that live in that
structure or neighbors nearby,” said Toledo fire Lt. Matthew Hertzfeld. “That’s
our best resource to gather that information.”
The fire started on the second
floor of the building at 3125 Meadowbrook Ct. about 3:45 a.m. The third and
second floors were searched, as was part of the first, but at 4:07 a.m., one
minute after a crew was sent to search the first floor, the evacuation order was
given, leaving apartments 37 and 38 unsearched, according to the
report.
Delano Fleming, 35, whose body was found Jan. 14 in the building
after its demolition, lived in apartment 38, on the first floor, said Mr.
Fleming’s sister, Sandra Brown.
While the building was still burning, crews
were told that “someone may be in the apartment on the left,” which was
apartment 37.
Two firefighters and the on-scene commander went into the
building to search 37. One firefighter went into 38 — which had an open door,
the report states.
“It was dark and he [the firefighter] felt some heat in
the hall near the bedrooms. He was unable to see any furniture from his position
due to the darkness,” the report, prepared by Deputy Chief Gary Martin, states.
“He did not search the apartment because of the belief that everyone was
accounted for and they were inside to check apartment 37.”
“At that time, we
still didn’t have any information that anyone else was missing, other than to go
back after they were pulled out to check 37,” said Lieutenant Hertzfeld.
The
door to Mr. Fleming’s apartment may have been open for a glance into the
apartment at the time of evacuation, Lieutenant Hertzfeld said.
“I can tell
you from experience, that when we get pulled out of buildings, as you’re
exiting, you’re popping doors and taking quick looks. What’s happened, and it’s
happened to me personally, you find a lot of people attempting to leave
structures on their own and I’ve found people six or seven feet from a doorway
or three feet from a window because that’s where they’ve succumbed to the
smoke.”
The fire department’s report found that “crews performed well
considering the many functions that had to be considered” and the search of the
building was “textbook.”
There were communication issues, the report found,
because of face-to-face conversations opposed to instructions broadcast over the
radio.
“Therefore, the other crews on the scene were unaware of their
locations and duties,” the report states.
“It’s difficult to say [if things
could have been done differently],” Lieutenant Hertzfeld said. “To say if
something was done wrong, it’s not a matter of right or wrong, it’s is there a
faster or smoother way to do it.”
Adam Loukx, the city’s law director, who
was the recipient of the report, declined to comment, but said “I don’t see any
liability here.” Ms. Brown said the family has not considered whether to file
suit.
onset of the Jan. 13 fire told authorities that everyone was out of the
three-story building.
“We rely on primarily the folks that live in that
structure or neighbors nearby,” said Toledo fire Lt. Matthew Hertzfeld. “That’s
our best resource to gather that information.”
The fire started on the second
floor of the building at 3125 Meadowbrook Ct. about 3:45 a.m. The third and
second floors were searched, as was part of the first, but at 4:07 a.m., one
minute after a crew was sent to search the first floor, the evacuation order was
given, leaving apartments 37 and 38 unsearched, according to the
report.
Delano Fleming, 35, whose body was found Jan. 14 in the building
after its demolition, lived in apartment 38, on the first floor, said Mr.
Fleming’s sister, Sandra Brown.
While the building was still burning, crews
were told that “someone may be in the apartment on the left,” which was
apartment 37.
Two firefighters and the on-scene commander went into the
building to search 37. One firefighter went into 38 — which had an open door,
the report states.
“It was dark and he [the firefighter] felt some heat in
the hall near the bedrooms. He was unable to see any furniture from his position
due to the darkness,” the report, prepared by Deputy Chief Gary Martin, states.
“He did not search the apartment because of the belief that everyone was
accounted for and they were inside to check apartment 37.”
“At that time, we
still didn’t have any information that anyone else was missing, other than to go
back after they were pulled out to check 37,” said Lieutenant Hertzfeld.
The
door to Mr. Fleming’s apartment may have been open for a glance into the
apartment at the time of evacuation, Lieutenant Hertzfeld said.
“I can tell
you from experience, that when we get pulled out of buildings, as you’re
exiting, you’re popping doors and taking quick looks. What’s happened, and it’s
happened to me personally, you find a lot of people attempting to leave
structures on their own and I’ve found people six or seven feet from a doorway
or three feet from a window because that’s where they’ve succumbed to the
smoke.”
The fire department’s report found that “crews performed well
considering the many functions that had to be considered” and the search of the
building was “textbook.”
There were communication issues, the report found,
because of face-to-face conversations opposed to instructions broadcast over the
radio.
“Therefore, the other crews on the scene were unaware of their
locations and duties,” the report states.
“It’s difficult to say [if things
could have been done differently],” Lieutenant Hertzfeld said. “To say if
something was done wrong, it’s not a matter of right or wrong, it’s is there a
faster or smoother way to do it.”
Adam Loukx, the city’s law director, who
was the recipient of the report, declined to comment, but said “I don’t see any
liability here.” Ms. Brown said the family has not considered whether to file
suit.
