A family of three are left homeless after the latest in a string of fires.
At 4:55 Monday morning, the Henderson family was awakened by the smell of smoke coming from their basement as their smoke alarms were not functioning properly. The victims of the fire are James and Jennie Henderson and their 15-year-old son, Charlie Henderson, who attends Oak Tree High School. The Hendersons own a bakery called, “Baking in Boston.” The family also has a yellow lab and collie mix, Jackie. Jackie ran from the fire and has not been seen since. In response to hearing that none of the family’s five smoke alarms were working, Fire Chief Ramirez stated, “Not having working smoke alarms is a very common occurrence. Over the course of my career, I’ve dealt with ten similar cases. That’s why on Saturdays, we hold fire safety classes that are free and open to the community.” This is the tenth fire reported in the last six months, all but one occurring in residential areas. The fires, however, are not connected. Fire Chief Rick Ramirez states the source of the Henderson fire was a dryer in the basement that had malfunctioned, starting the fire. The family has their neighbor, Sandra O’Toole, to thank for the Fire Departments speedy response time. At 5:00 AM Sandra saw smoke coming from the house windows and immediately called 911. The department had the fire extinguished in a matter of hours before it could spread to neighboring houses. The devastated Henderson family had lost everything in the fire. “The worst part is losing our photos. Our memories were in that house.” Jennie Henderson admits. Her husband, James Henderson, says, “We’re just thankful that we made it out safely. We didn’t even hear the alarm sound so it caught us off guard when we smelled smoke coming from the basement. We ran out of the house and made it across the street just in time.” All three family members were transported to Hillcrest Hospital and are reported to be in good health. Through the kindness of their community, a GoFundMe page has been created to assist in raising money to help the Hendersons replace their lost belongings.
Sources:
https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/685897/assignments/10690154
Smoke Out the Smoke With Smoke Out Inc.
In light of the recent string of fires, Smoke Out Inc. is taking initiative by hosting a “Smoke Out Day” from 6-9 pm. Smoke Out Inc will be hosting the event at Oak Tree Elementary School. The first 50 families will receive one free smoke detector per family. Smoke detectors will be for sale for the rest of the community. During the event a silent auction will be held to raise money for families in the Oak Tree community that have been affected by the fires in the last six months. The local fire department will be present with a fire engine to boost morale. Fire Chief Rick Ramirez, whom we met earlier at the Henderson Fire, says, “In light of recent tragedies in our neighborhood, this event is too important to miss.” Chief Ramirez and his family wanted to set a good example by attending the event to show that fire safety isn’t only for the adults. Company President Lee Williams reminds us how smoke detectors save lives. He explains the reason for the event as: “We live in this community too and it breaks my heart that neighbors have lost loved ones, homes, and precious possessions unnecessarily.” We will also have celebrity guests, Sparky the Fire Dog and Smoky the Bear, present raising awareness. The event will begin with a Fire Safety class from 6:00 to 6:30 pm, followed by “Planning a Fire Escape Route” from 7:00 to 7:30 pm. A discussion on protecting your home and family from 8:00 to 8:30 pm will round out the educational time. Then, finally, a surprise celebrity guest speaker will close the event around 8:30 pm. Refreshments will be served throughout the day. Smoke Out Inc. has been providing smoke alarms to residential and commercial clients since 1978. Their business began after a devastating fire erupted at their grandparents’ home, taking the life of one of their grandchildren. Smoke Out is determined to assist in preventing fires with casualties in their community. They are doing their best to help save lives in their community by continuing to educate families, one home and one smoke alarm at a time.
For more information, please visit their website at SmokeOutInc.com.
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Resources: News Release Assignment (liberty.edu)
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