A fire that broke out Monday night left at least one person hospitalized and several neighbors running from their beds and clamoring for their pets to get to safety.
Firefighters and emergency personnel were called out to the 4200 block of Northeast Ninth Street around 11 p.m. for the flames.
The person who was hospitalized has not been named, but officials told reporters with Channel 7 News that they were airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. The two-story home where the flames began had smoke damage and shattered windows following the fire.
The investigation is ongoing, and fire officials have yet to publicly identify what caused the fire.
Leesfield & Partners
In nearly five decades of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners has represented numerous individuals and families through devastating fire injury cases. In U.S. Fire Administration data from 2022, the most current numbers available, it is estimated that 374,300 residential buildings caught fire that year. Cooking was the leading cause of home fires in 2022. The next, most common cause of a fire resulted from heating appliances. The numbers show a spike over the last decade in fire incidents with the number of fatalities in 2022 – estimated to be over 3,000 – remaining relatively unchanged from 2021. Overall, however, injuries reported to emergency responders from fires was down in 2022.
As the wildfires in Southern California rage on, Leesfield & Partners has donated to emergency relief organizations via Ira Leesfield’s charitable organization The Leesfield Family Foundation. As of Tuesday, 24 people have been killed from this tragedy, which experts are saying could be the costliest wildfire in U.S. history.
In an explosion that caused burns, Leesfield & Partners secured a $3.25 million recovery for the injured client.
A construction site accident that resulted in burns to a Leesfield & partners client resulted in an $862,000 recovery.
In a fire that killed at least one person due to the negligence of a company, Leesfield & Partners secured a $600,00 recovery.
For a patient who was burnt in an operating room due to the negligence of a hospital’s medical staff. Attorneys at the firm secured a $600,000 recovery.
For a couple celebrating their honeymoon, what was meant to be the start of their happy life together soon became a nightmare after an improperly capped pipe caused an explosion at their accommodation. Both were severely burned and, tragically, the wife passed away from her injuries.
The firm secured a multi-million-dollar for the husband in that case.
Leesfield & partners secured a $2.95 million award for a family who lost their 113-year-old daughter after a TV set caught fire in their home. The manufacturer of the defective television set was named as a defendant in the lawsuit alongside the distributor of a defective smoke alarm and the family’s condominium association, which was named in the lawsuit for safety violations. The father involved in this incident burned over 30% of his body when he tried to rescue his daughter.
Carbon Monoxide Cases
In addition to cases involving explosions, burns and fires, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have also handled numerous cases of people being injured after breathing in carbon monoxide. The toxic gas is both odorless and colorless and nearly impossible to detect. Breathing in the gas causes it to bind to the hemoglobin in the blood, making it difficult for the dispersion of oxygen throughout the body. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea and a loss of consciousness.
Leesfield & Partners played an essential role in the passage of Senate Bill 1822, which outlines carbon monoxide detector requirements in public lodging places. The firm became involved in the passage of the bill following several cases of Key West tourists who were exposed to carbon monoxide at the same hotel due to a boiler room roof vent that had been damaged. This case, which was handled by the firm, caught the attention of national media such as The Washington Post and The New York times.
Previously, Leesfield & Partners secured an $11.75 million settlement for a woman who was exposed to carbon monoxide while staying at a foreign resort.
In another carbon monoxide case, Leesfield & Partners secured a confidential settlement for a student visiting a college campus. The student was sleeping in a house owned by the university when they were exposed to carbon monoxide as a result of a faulty exhaust pipe in the house’s furnace.
Fire Safety Tips
Even the most prepared and diligent families can become the victims of a fire tragedy. No one can ever fully prevent an accident from occurring, however, knowing what to do in case of an emergency can mean the difference between life and death in certain situations by shortening your reaction time. Below are only some fire safety tips that may help you and your family should you ever find yourselves in a fire emergency, however, you should defer to fire personnel when searching for the best courses of action in a fire.
- Come up with a fire safety plan that everyone in the household can remember. This plan should include a meeting spot that is a safe distance away from the home so that everyone knows where to go once they have escaped in case you are separated by the flames.
- Ensure that all smoke detectors are in working order.
- Never allow children to play with household items such as matches, candles or lighters.
- Educate your family about the dangers of fire
- If a fire breaks out in your home, escape immediately and call 911. Never attempt to put out the fire yourself or to
- Always keep fire extinguishers on hand near kitchens, outdoor fire pits and barbecues.
- Always stay in the kitchen while cooking as stoves that are left unattended can become fire hazards.
- Extinguish candles before leaving a room.
- Never smoke in bed and keep flammable materials like curtains away from heat sources.
- Take a fire safety course with your family to ensure that everyone gets the most up-to-date information regarding fires.