Home Burned Down and 2 Lives Lost (28)
Horrible 
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LILLYLADY: At 4am on Feb 6(yesterday), I got a phone call from my landlady asking if there was a firetruck in front of my home. As I walked to the front of my mobile home, I witnessed the trailer 30' away fully engulfed in flames.
The firemen struggled through 24" of unplowed street snow and labored in brutal cold temperatures to try to hook up their hoses. The home was gone in less than 15 mins before they could even get their equipment operating. 6 other fire depts arrived shortly after but the look of hopelessness was on their faces too as they took turns manning the hoses. A 4 wheel drive big city snow plow was called in to try to open up the other side of this small street to get other rescue vehicles in. Then 3 other plows arrived.
I watched in despair as the flames shot up and out the windows and the walls came tumbling down. The car 5-7' away was unscathed and the tree next to the home was only blackened.
In the end.....my 63 yr old neighbor and her 2 week old grandson were pulled from the rubble. She had him cradled in her arms and he was underneath her body as she was obviously protecting him from the heat and smoke. Both burned horibly. It took 3 hours of continuous effort to get the fire fully out before they could start the search effort. It kept reigniting itself.
The neighbor's son was visiting friends and the police came and brought him just as his baby was being pulled from the rubble. He literally went screaming crazy. His girlfriend whom just had the baby and her mother also went screaming and crying.
Today, I walked over there and stood on the perimeter and pulled out some pictures, a child's book and 2 Bibles and gave it to family members. A lifetime of love, laughter, and sad moments in that family are gone up in smoke. My neighbor's husband passed on from Agent Orange cancer several years back. Her greatest joy was her children and grandchildren.
So now I am in a funk with the memory of the home engulfed and the loss of a terrific neighbor and a newborn life. This thought haunts me. The cause of the fire is unknown. Furnace just had a blower motor and the hot water tank was OK as far as we know. Why the back of the house where the bedroom is had so much more damage we don't know. The lady didn't smoke and used no candles. No gas explosions or electric, propane/gas heaters involved. Arson, murder and suicide ruled out. The fire is truly a mystery...something I will never forget.
No smoke alarms were heard. Only alert was the next door neighbor's house dog who woke up his owners. Those people were the first to see the fire and then me next.
Moving here 20 yrs ago, I was the youngster in the neighborhood at 36 1/2 yrs old with a newborn. Now I am the last of the seniors in this corner.
Linda and Ethan O'Neal. May you both R.I.P.
The firemen struggled through 24" of unplowed street snow and labored in brutal cold temperatures to try to hook up their hoses. The home was gone in less than 15 mins before they could even get their equipment operating. 6 other fire depts arrived shortly after but the look of hopelessness was on their faces too as they took turns manning the hoses. A 4 wheel drive big city snow plow was called in to try to open up the other side of this small street to get other rescue vehicles in. Then 3 other plows arrived.
I watched in despair as the flames shot up and out the windows and the walls came tumbling down. The car 5-7' away was unscathed and the tree next to the home was only blackened.
In the end.....my 63 yr old neighbor and her 2 week old grandson were pulled from the rubble. She had him cradled in her arms and he was underneath her body as she was obviously protecting him from the heat and smoke. Both burned horibly. It took 3 hours of continuous effort to get the fire fully out before they could start the search effort. It kept reigniting itself.
The neighbor's son was visiting friends and the police came and brought him just as his baby was being pulled from the rubble. He literally went screaming crazy. His girlfriend whom just had the baby and her mother also went screaming and crying.
Today, I walked over there and stood on the perimeter and pulled out some pictures, a child's book and 2 Bibles and gave it to family members. A lifetime of love, laughter, and sad moments in that family are gone up in smoke. My neighbor's husband passed on from Agent Orange cancer several years back. Her greatest joy was her children and grandchildren.
So now I am in a funk with the memory of the home engulfed and the loss of a terrific neighbor and a newborn life. This thought haunts me. The cause of the fire is unknown. Furnace just had a blower motor and the hot water tank was OK as far as we know. Why the back of the house where the bedroom is had so much more damage we don't know. The lady didn't smoke and used no candles. No gas explosions or electric, propane/gas heaters involved. Arson, murder and suicide ruled out. The fire is truly a mystery...something I will never forget.
No smoke alarms were heard. Only alert was the next door neighbor's house dog who woke up his owners. Those people were the first to see the fire and then me next.
Moving here 20 yrs ago, I was the youngster in the neighborhood at 36 1/2 yrs old with a newborn. Now I am the last of the seniors in this corner.
Linda and Ethan O'Neal. May you both R.I.P.
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Puts my own problems in perspective. God Bless but talk to someone you trust to get over this.
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LILLYLADY: At 4am on Feb 6(yesterday), I got a phone call from my landlady asking if there was a firetruck in front of my home. As I walked to the front of my mobile home, I witnessed the trailer 30' away fully engulfed in flames.
The firemen struggled through 24" of unplowed street snow and labored in brutal cold temperatures to try to hook up their hoses. The home was gone in less than 15 mins before they could even get their equipment operating. 6 other fire depts arrived shortly after but the look of hopelessness was on their faces too as they took turns manning the hoses. A 4 wheel drive big city snow plow was called in to try to open up the other side of this small street to get other rescue vehicles in. Then 3 other plows arrived.
I watched in despair as the flames shot up and out the windows and the walls came tumbling down. The car 5-7' away was unscathed and the tree next to the home was only blackened.
In the end.....my 63 yr old neighbor and her 2 week old grandson were pulled from the rubble. She had him cradled in her arms and he was underneath her body as she was obviously protecting him from the heat and smoke. Both burned horibly. It took 3 hours of continuous effort to get the fire fully out before they could start the search effort. It kept reigniting itself.
The neighbor's son was visiting friends and the police came and brought him just as his baby was being pulled from the rubble. He literally went screaming crazy. His girlfriend whom just had the baby and her mother also went screaming and crying.
Today, I walked over there and stood on the perimeter and pulled out some pictures, a child's book and 2 Bibles and gave it to family members. A lifetime of love, laughter, and sad moments in that family are gone up in smoke. My neighbor's husband passed on from Agent Orange cancer several years back. Her greatest joy was her children and grandchildren.
So now I am in a funk with the memory of the home engulfed and the loss of a terrific neighbor and a newborn life. This thought haunts me. The cause of the fire is unknown. Furnace just had a blower motor and the hot water tank was OK as far as we know. Why the back of the house where the bedroom is had so much more damage we don't know. The lady didn't smoke and used no candles. No gas explosions or electric, propane/gas heaters involved. Arson, murder and suicide ruled out. The fire is truly a mystery...something I will never forget.
No smoke alarms were heard. Only alert was the next door neighbor's house dog who woke up his owners. Those people were the first to see the fire and then me next.
Moving here 20 yrs ago, I was the youngster in the neighborhood at 36 1/2 yrs old with a newborn. Now I am the last of the seniors in this corner.
Linda and Ethan O'Neal. May you both R.I.P.
The firemen struggled through 24" of unplowed street snow and labored in brutal cold temperatures to try to hook up their hoses. The home was gone in less than 15 mins before they could even get their equipment operating. 6 other fire depts arrived shortly after but the look of hopelessness was on their faces too as they took turns manning the hoses. A 4 wheel drive big city snow plow was called in to try to open up the other side of this small street to get other rescue vehicles in. Then 3 other plows arrived.
I watched in despair as the flames shot up and out the windows and the walls came tumbling down. The car 5-7' away was unscathed and the tree next to the home was only blackened.
In the end.....my 63 yr old neighbor and her 2 week old grandson were pulled from the rubble. She had him cradled in her arms and he was underneath her body as she was obviously protecting him from the heat and smoke. Both burned horibly. It took 3 hours of continuous effort to get the fire fully out before they could start the search effort. It kept reigniting itself.
The neighbor's son was visiting friends and the police came and brought him just as his baby was being pulled from the rubble. He literally went screaming crazy. His girlfriend whom just had the baby and her mother also went screaming and crying.
Today, I walked over there and stood on the perimeter and pulled out some pictures, a child's book and 2 Bibles and gave it to family members. A lifetime of love, laughter, and sad moments in that family are gone up in smoke. My neighbor's husband passed on from Agent Orange cancer several years back. Her greatest joy was her children and grandchildren.
So now I am in a funk with the memory of the home engulfed and the loss of a terrific neighbor and a newborn life. This thought haunts me. The cause of the fire is unknown. Furnace just had a blower motor and the hot water tank was OK as far as we know. Why the back of the house where the bedroom is had so much more damage we don't know. The lady didn't smoke and used no candles. No gas explosions or electric, propane/gas heaters involved. Arson, murder and suicide ruled out. The fire is truly a mystery...something I will never forget.
No smoke alarms were heard. Only alert was the next door neighbor's house dog who woke up his owners. Those people were the first to see the fire and then me next.
Moving here 20 yrs ago, I was the youngster in the neighborhood at 36 1/2 yrs old with a newborn. Now I am the last of the seniors in this corner.
Linda and Ethan O'Neal. May you both R.I.P.
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What a horrific tradedy...without rhyme or reason and perhaps never with answers...thy will, will be done...I hope you have a strong support system to help you get through witnessing such a traumatic event
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Godsgift: Puts my own problems in perspective. God Bless but talk to someone you trust to get over this.
Thanks for your thoughts. I have talked to a few friends. Sometimes, we need communal support too to help us work through our personal feelings so I have posted here. I will get through this awful funky feeling eventually but will always feel that emptiness whenever I look at that space across the road. Knowing that it could have been my place and my life snuffed out too on a cold bleak night in the midst of heavy snowfall.
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For those who want to read about it, please go to and you will find it front page news.
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What a sad,sad thing to have happened.
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When confronted with tragic events such as this....
....we need to remind ourselves...how precious all that we take for granted really is......
...cherish the NOW.....
....we need to remind ourselves...how precious all that we take for granted really is......
...cherish the NOW.....
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When confronted with tragic events such as this....
....we need to remind ourselves...how precious all that we take for granted really is......
...cherish the NOW.....[/quote:
....we need to remind ourselves...how precious all that we take for granted really is......
...cherish the NOW.....[/quote:
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Thank you all for your kind thoughts. I am constantly reminded of how fragile our lives really are. To look out my window across the street is a constant bleak reminder.
Autopsies are being done today to determine the cause of death. I can only hope that they were overcome by smoke before they burned up.
People have put teddy bears and balloons up. The family and friends were sifting through the rubble yesterday in search of momentos to move forwards in life with.
I walked over to offer them my home to warm up in and use my bathroom. While there, I found 2 Bibles and some pictures at the perimeter of the rubble and handed them over. Also the remnants of a little child's book that showed a line stating, "how good it is when people work together." I gave that to the family also.
The neighbor's son who is the father of the infant said on the news, "I changed my son(diaper), burped him and then kissed my mom and him goodbye and went out for the evening. I came back as they were pulling my mom and baby out of the rubble." He had kissed them goodbye before he went out for the evening.
Autopsies are being done today to determine the cause of death. I can only hope that they were overcome by smoke before they burned up.
People have put teddy bears and balloons up. The family and friends were sifting through the rubble yesterday in search of momentos to move forwards in life with.
I walked over to offer them my home to warm up in and use my bathroom. While there, I found 2 Bibles and some pictures at the perimeter of the rubble and handed them over. Also the remnants of a little child's book that showed a line stating, "how good it is when people work together." I gave that to the family also.
The neighbor's son who is the father of the infant said on the news, "I changed my son(diaper), burped him and then kissed my mom and him goodbye and went out for the evening. I came back as they were pulling my mom and baby out of the rubble." He had kissed them goodbye before he went out for the evening.
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LILLYLADY: At 4am on Feb 6(yesterday), I got a phone call from my landlady asking if there was a firetruck in front of my home. As I walked to the front of my mobile home, I witnessed the trailer 30' away fully engulfed in flames.
The firemen struggled through 24" of unplowed street snow and labored in brutal cold temperatures to try to hook up their hoses. The home was gone in less than 15 mins before they could even get their equipment operating. 6 other fire depts arrived shortly after but the look of hopelessness was on their faces too as they took turns manning the hoses. A 4 wheel drive big city snow plow was called in to try to open up the other side of this small street to get other rescue vehicles in. Then 3 other plows arrived.
I watched in despair as the flames shot up and out the windows and the walls came tumbling down. The car 5-7' away was unscathed and the tree next to the home was only blackened.
In the end.....my 63 yr old neighbor and her 2 week old grandson were pulled from the rubble. She had him cradled in her arms and he was underneath her body as she was obviously protecting him from the heat and smoke. Both burned horibly. It took 3 hours of continuous effort to get the fire fully out before they could start the search effort. It kept reigniting itself.
The neighbor's son was visiting friends and the police came and brought him just as his baby was being pulled from the rubble. He literally went screaming crazy. His girlfriend whom just had the baby and her mother also went screaming and crying.
Today, I walked over there and stood on the perimeter and pulled out some pictures, a child's book and 2 Bibles and gave it to family members. A lifetime of love, laughter, and sad moments in that family are gone up in smoke. My neighbor's husband passed on from Agent Orange cancer several years back. Her greatest joy was her children and grandchildren.
So now I am in a funk with the memory of the home engulfed and the loss of a terrific neighbor and a newborn life. This thought haunts me. The cause of the fire is unknown. Furnace just had a blower motor and the hot water tank was OK as far as we know. Why the back of the house where the bedroom is had so much more damage we don't know. The lady didn't smoke and used no candles. No gas explosions or electric, propane/gas heaters involved. Arson, murder and suicide ruled out. The fire is truly a mystery...something I will never forget.
No smoke alarms were heard. Only alert was the next door neighbor's house dog who woke up his owners. Those people were the first to see the fire and then me next.
Moving here 20 yrs ago, I was the youngster in the neighborhood at 36 1/2 yrs old with a newborn. Now I am the last of the seniors in this corner.
Linda and Ethan O'Neal. May you both R.I.P.
This is a painful news The firemen struggled through 24" of unplowed street snow and labored in brutal cold temperatures to try to hook up their hoses. The home was gone in less than 15 mins before they could even get their equipment operating. 6 other fire depts arrived shortly after but the look of hopelessness was on their faces too as they took turns manning the hoses. A 4 wheel drive big city snow plow was called in to try to open up the other side of this small street to get other rescue vehicles in. Then 3 other plows arrived.
I watched in despair as the flames shot up and out the windows and the walls came tumbling down. The car 5-7' away was unscathed and the tree next to the home was only blackened.
In the end.....my 63 yr old neighbor and her 2 week old grandson were pulled from the rubble. She had him cradled in her arms and he was underneath her body as she was obviously protecting him from the heat and smoke. Both burned horibly. It took 3 hours of continuous effort to get the fire fully out before they could start the search effort. It kept reigniting itself.
The neighbor's son was visiting friends and the police came and brought him just as his baby was being pulled from the rubble. He literally went screaming crazy. His girlfriend whom just had the baby and her mother also went screaming and crying.
Today, I walked over there and stood on the perimeter and pulled out some pictures, a child's book and 2 Bibles and gave it to family members. A lifetime of love, laughter, and sad moments in that family are gone up in smoke. My neighbor's husband passed on from Agent Orange cancer several years back. Her greatest joy was her children and grandchildren.
So now I am in a funk with the memory of the home engulfed and the loss of a terrific neighbor and a newborn life. This thought haunts me. The cause of the fire is unknown. Furnace just had a blower motor and the hot water tank was OK as far as we know. Why the back of the house where the bedroom is had so much more damage we don't know. The lady didn't smoke and used no candles. No gas explosions or electric, propane/gas heaters involved. Arson, murder and suicide ruled out. The fire is truly a mystery...something I will never forget.
No smoke alarms were heard. Only alert was the next door neighbor's house dog who woke up his owners. Those people were the first to see the fire and then me next.
Moving here 20 yrs ago, I was the youngster in the neighborhood at 36 1/2 yrs old with a newborn. Now I am the last of the seniors in this corner.
Linda and Ethan O'Neal. May you both R.I.P.
------ This thread is Archived ------
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LILLYLADY: Thank you all for your kind thoughts. I am constantly reminded of how fragile our lives really are. To look out my window across the street is a constant bleak reminder.
Autopsies are being done today to determine the cause of death. I can only hope that they were overcome by smoke before they burned up.
People have put teddy bears and balloons up. The family and friends were sifting through the rubble yesterday in search of momentos to move forwards in life with.
I walked over to offer them my home to warm up in and use my bathroom. While there, I found 2 Bibles and some pictures at the perimeter of the rubble and handed them over. Also the remnants of a little child's book that showed a line stating, "how good it is when people work together." I gave that to the family also.
The neighbor's son who is the father of the infant said on the news, "I changed my son(diaper), burped him and then kissed my mom and him goodbye and went out for the evening. I came back as they were pulling my mom and baby out of the rubble." He had kissed them goodbye before he went out for the evening.
Autopsies are being done today to determine the cause of death. I can only hope that they were overcome by smoke before they burned up.
People have put teddy bears and balloons up. The family and friends were sifting through the rubble yesterday in search of momentos to move forwards in life with.
I walked over to offer them my home to warm up in and use my bathroom. While there, I found 2 Bibles and some pictures at the perimeter of the rubble and handed them over. Also the remnants of a little child's book that showed a line stating, "how good it is when people work together." I gave that to the family also.
The neighbor's son who is the father of the infant said on the news, "I changed my son(diaper), burped him and then kissed my mom and him goodbye and went out for the evening. I came back as they were pulling my mom and baby out of the rubble." He had kissed them goodbye before he went out for the evening.
thats so sad..
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wow that's tragic. I hope the husband and wife recover and have another boy someday. That made me think about life. Thanks for posting.
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gonzo111: wow that's tragic. I hope the husband and wife recover and have another boy someday. That made me think about life. Thanks for posting.
The son and his girlfriend were not married but were very close. This was her first child. They and both families are still in shock.
I am watching the rubble to make sure there are no souvenier hunters picking through it. Just people bringing teddy bears and balloons for now.
The local coroner must be feeling awfully bad to have to autopsy burned up victims and especially an infant. That has got to be the worst moment of his life. I can only imagine his feelings.
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The firemen struggled through 24" of unplowed street snow and labored in brutal cold temperatures to try to hook up their hoses. The home was gone in less than 15 mins before they could even get their equipment operating. 6 other fire depts arrived shortly after but the look of hopelessness was on their faces too as they took turns manning the hoses. A 4 wheel drive big city snow plow was called in to try to open up the other side of this small street to get other rescue vehicles in. Then 3 other plows arrived.
I watched in despair as the flames shot up and out the windows and the walls came tumbling down. The car 5-7' away was unscathed and the tree next to the home was only blackened.
In the end.....my 63 yr old neighbor and her 2 week old grandson were pulled from the rubble. She had him cradled in her arms and he was underneath her body as she was obviously protecting him from the heat and smoke. Both burned horibly. It took 3 hours of continuous effort to get the fire fully out before they could start the search effort. It kept reigniting itself.
The neighbor's son was visiting friends and the police came and brought him just as his baby was being pulled from the rubble. He literally went screaming crazy. His girlfriend whom just had the baby and her mother also went screaming and crying.
Today, I walked over there and stood on the perimeter and pulled out some pictures, a child's book and 2 Bibles and gave it to family members. A lifetime of love, laughter, and sad moments in that family are gone up in smoke. My neighbor's husband passed on from Agent Orange cancer several years back. Her greatest joy was her children and grandchildren.
So now I am in a funk with the memory of the home engulfed and the loss of a terrific neighbor and a newborn life. This thought haunts me. The cause of the fire is unknown. Furnace just had a blower motor and the hot water tank was OK as far as we know. Why the back of the house where the bedroom is had so much more damage we don't know. The lady didn't smoke and used no candles. No gas explosions or electric, propane/gas heaters involved. Arson, murder and suicide ruled out. The fire is truly a mystery...something I will never forget.
No smoke alarms were heard. Only alert was the next door neighbor's house dog who woke up his owners. Those people were the first to see the fire and then me next.
Moving here 20 yrs ago, I was the youngster in the neighborhood at 36 1/2 yrs old with a newborn. Now I am the last of the seniors in this corner.
Linda and Ethan O'Neal. May you both R.I.P.