fire

Kentucky Officials Share Ideas to Fight Rise in Fire Deaths

Whitney Jones and The Associated Press — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:56:23 +0000

Statewide, fire officials have begun discussing ways Kentuckians can stop the rising number of accidental fire deaths, which have claimed 30 people so far this year.

Kentucky Fire Marshal William Swope led the first brainstorming session Tuesday. He says most of the fire deaths have occurred in rural areas.

Much of the two-hour discussion hinged on how to get more working smoke detectors in homes in areas that lack fire personnel who can visit areas door to door. Most rural areas depend on volunteer fire departments that have limited time and resources.

Crews Work to Contain Shawnee Forest Blaze

Whitney Jones and The Associated Press — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:20:38 +0000

Crews are working to contain a fire that has damaged at least 14 acres of the sprawling Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois.

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Patricia York says at least one-quarter of the blaze is contained at Little Grand Canyon near Pomona, southwest of Carbondale, in Jackson County.

All Animals Safe After Christian County Shelter Fire Extinguished

Whitney Jones — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:33:20 +0000

A fire damaged the Christian County Animal Shelter Monday morning. The county’s Emergency Management Director Randy Graham says all of the animals survived the fire. He also says there is some structural damage to one wing and the offices in the building.

Fire Destroys Paris Landmark

John Walker and The Associated Press — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 13:37:13 +0000

A fire has destroyed a former antique mall near downtown Paris. The blaze broke out shortly after 6 p.m. yesterday on north Market Street.

Authorities Probe Cause of Morehead Fire

The Associated Press and Person: Whitney Jones — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:10:57 +0000

Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a Morehead State University building that injured four firefighters. Morehead Fire Chief Jeff Anderson says the firefighters were injured by bricks that fell while crews were battling the blaze at Downing Hall around 7 a.m. Sunday.

Fort Campbell Woman Sentenced 25 Years for Fatal Fire

Whitney Jones and The Associated Press and The Ass — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:21:24 +0000

A Fort Campbell woman accused of trying to collect on her Army husband's life insurance policy has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for setting fire to her home and killing two of her children. Billi Jo Smallwood maintained her innocence at her sentencing Thursday in Louisville. 39-year-old Smallwood could have been given life in prison. She was convicted in federal court of maliciously setting fire to the family’s housing unit in 2007 while her children slept inside. Prosecutors say her intent was to kill her husband and cash in his $400,000 insurance policy.

Fire Kills Two in Stewart Co.

Angela Hatton and The Associated Press — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 21:26:01 +0000

A Stewart County fire has killed two people and burned a teenager. The Leaf-Chronicle reports six people were in the mobile home early Thursday when the fire broke out in the Indian Mound community in eastern Stewart. Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief Rick Joiner says the names of the victims would not be released until the state medical examiner identifies them.

Fire Crews Douse I-24 Fire

Angela Hatton and John Walker — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 21:25:19 +0000

A semi-trailer fire closed a section of I-24 in Trigg County for most of the morning. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Keith Todd, the semi was on its way to Miami with a truckload of pears when it caught fire around 5:30 AM.

I-24 Semi Fire and Lane Closure

Dave Shinall and Angela Hatton — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 15:18:08 +0000

Kentucky transportation officials report eastbound lanes on Interstate-24 remain closed Friday morning in Trigg County near the 65 mile marker. A tractor-trailer rig carrying pears is on fire. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Keith Todd says firefighters brought in a backhoe to break open the trailer to access the burning cargo inside.

Fire from Train Derailment Under Control

Shelly Baskin and The Associated Press — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 13:06:39 +0000

Emergency workers in Kentucky are increasingly confident that fire crews have contained a multi-day blaze spewing flames and smoke from a derailed tanker car. The blaze began Wednesday afternoon, and authorities initially thought it would last no longer than a couple hours. They were still waiting for it to die out late last night, acknowledging they were unsure how much butadiene was left in the burning railcar to fuel the flames.