By Abe Winter
Omaha World-Herald (Nebraska)
Copyright 2006 The Omaha World-Herald Company
Brian Murray, one of two men rescued Thursday morning by firefighters during a fire at 10907 Leavenworth St., remained in critical condition Friday in the burn unit at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln.
Murray, 32, was pulled from a bedroom in the southeast corner of the house. He was taken to Creighton University Medical Center and then was transferred to St. Elizabeth with burns in his airway.
William Hubbs, 22, was rescued from the basement and taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released.
Two children — Tyler Murray, 9, and Gabrielle Murray, 6 — and a woman, 32-year-old Leslie Krenkel, escaped before firefighters arrived. (Krenkel’s last name was incorrect in the Thursday paper.) Gabrielle Murray was treated and released, but her brother and Krenkel were hospitalized.
Creighton could not release information on Tyler Murray on Friday, but Krenkel was listed in fair condition.
Firefighters were summoned to the one-story house shortly after 7:45 a.m.
Battalion Chief Joe Fuxa of the Omaha Fire Department said fatalities were prevented by the quick response of fire and paramedic personnel.
The fire started in the northwest corner of the living room and quickly spread throughout, causing damage estimated at $50,000 to the structure and $10,000 to its contents.
The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined. Fuxa said three smoke detectors were found in the house, but none of them was working because of missing batteries, “causing the fire to go undetected and grow to an extremely dangerous size.”
Fuxa said people can get free smoke detectors from the Omaha Fire Department and American Red Cross. The department will install the detectors and also will provide batteries for existing detectors that aren’t in service. Call the fire department at 444-3560 or Red Cross at 343-7700.