Jefferson County fire kills three people
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Three Jefferson County residents, a father and his two children, were killed Friday morning in a fire at their house.
According to a St. Louis Post Dispatch report, the fire broke out sometime before 4:45 a.m. at the home of James and Deena Manning near DeSoto. The fire caused several explosions that woke the couple up and they fled the house. James Manning ran back into the home to rescue their children, ages 11 and 7, but the house was quickly engulfed in flames and James Manning and the two children were killed.
Deena Manning is in critical condition at St. John’s Hospital.
The explosions were likely caused by propane tanks used for a barbecue grill, but investigators don’t believe that’s how the fire started, according to the Post Dispatch. State Fire Marshall workers have been called in to investigate the cause of the fire.
The death of these three people is certainly a tragic event, but the heroism showed by James Manning to re-enter the house is especially moving. Hopefully the cause of the fire can be identified so that future tragedies like this can be avoided.
No details about how the fire could have started have been released, but James Manning’s job involved inspecting fire alarm systems so one could assume that he was knowledgeable about fire safety. This could mean that the fire was started by some unforeseen electrical malfunction or some other sort of malfunctioning device in the house. If investigators find that some negligently installed wiring was the cause, Deena Manning may be entitled to compensation. Anyone injured in a fire injury should contact a St. Louis personal injury attorney to investigate their case and learn their rights.
National Fire Protection Association statistics say that more than 3,000 people die in fire accidents each year and 15,000 suffer serious injury. A vast majority of these accidents occur in homes. Everybody should make sure that they have smoke detectors on every floor of their home as well as extra detectors around bedrooms. Heaters, lamps, and fireplaces are often the cause of fires and should be checked to make sure they do not become a hazard. Again, if you are injured in a fire accident, finding a Missouri personal injury lawyer as soon as possible is very important because you may be entitled to compensation and valuable evidence may be lost if you wait too long.
