An early-morning fire that rapidly spread through a 24-hour childcare facility in Erie, Pa., resulted in the deaths of five young children may not have been so deadly had the two-story residential structure been equipped with the required number of working smoke alarms.
Read FireRescue1 columnist Robert Avsec’s Rapid Response analysis of the incident and learn how fire departments can work with childcare facilities to help underscore fire safety.
ERIE, Pa. — Officials say a volunteer firefighter was the father of three of five children who died in a blaze at an all-night child care center in Pennsylvania.
Lawrence Park Township Volunteer Fire Chief Joe Crotty says Luther Jones’ two daughters and a son were killed in the fire.
The children haven’t been formally identified, but the Erie Fire Department says the dead range in age from 8 months to 7 years. The owner was hospitalized after the fire Sunday.
Crotty says at the time of the blaze Jones had responded to another call for what turned out to be a malfunctioning alarm.
Erie fire officials say the children were staying overnight at a house that had been turned into a day care center.