Begin forwarded message: > From: Anthony West <[email protected]> > Date: February 25, 2011 11:41:03 PM EST > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [UCNeighbors] Fwd: [UC] From the DP -- fire at 45th & Walnut was > "set" (contributed by Al Krigman) > Reply-To: [email protected] > > I had a long chat the other day with Alan Presser of Monarch Hardware, who > owns the 45th & Walnut building. He was very circumspect about the possible > cause; his attitude, reasonably was it's all the Fire Dept.'s call. He said > he was whistle-clean with licensing requirements, so not worried there. He > was relieved no one had been hurt. > > Rest assured, though, he has been thinking long and hard about owning > buildings and about fires ever since. > > My personal take is that anyone who thinks forbidding smoking inside a > building is about a "lifestyle choice" is nuts. It's about public safety and > public health. And I don't mean health as in "lung cancer"; I mean health as > in "burning to death". It's very true: "When you drink, don't drive." It's > equally true: "When you house, don't smoke" -- cigarettes specifically. > Crack, pot and cigars may cause other social problems -- but they are > self-extinguishing fires. Cigarettes are not. > > -- Tony West > > > > > On 2/25/2011 2:29 PM, Richard Conrad wrote: >> >> Forwarded message from [email protected]: >> >>> From: [email protected] >>> Date: February 25, 2011 8:25:11 AM EST >>> Subject: [UC] From the DP -- fire at 45th & Walnut was "set" (contributed >>> by Al Krigman) >>> Reply-To: [email protected] >>> Feb. 17 fire declared 'incendiary' >>> >>> by Jessica Yu | Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 11:33 pm >>> >>> (A Jan. 10 fire at 48th and Walnut streets at an apartment building left >>> nearly 200 tenants without a place to live. Two other fires have recently >>> erupted in the area, including one on Feb. 17 that was declared >>> 'incendiary.' (Alexandra Fleischman/DP Senior Photographer) >>> >>> Three big fires have blazed in West Philadelphia this year. >>> >>> The Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office has identified the cause of the Feb. >>> 17 fire at 45th and Walnut streets as ‘incendiary,” with the Philadelphia >>> Police Department now looking for an arsonist at large. >>> >>> Two victims were caught in the fire and no deaths occurred. One man was >>> handcuffed — but not arrested — for giving rescue workers a hard time, >>> Deputy Chief James Bonner said, adding that the man may have been under the >>> influence or panicked at the emergency situation. >>> >>> “That fire was an aggressive attack,” Bonner said. “People were picked up >>> on the fourth floor. There was an enormous number of rescue workers at >>> work.” >>> >>> The fire marshal welcomes any information, as the case is still open. >>> >>> Smoking in bed was the cause of a fire the previous day, Feb. 16, at >>> Transition to Independent Living, located at 45th and Spruce streets. The >>> Fire Marshal’s Office said the fire started with a carelessly discarded >>> cigarette that lit into the mattress’ plastic and brought severe damages to >>> the room. >>> >>> Smoke and flames soon hospitalized two patients and left seven without >>> shelter, who were relocated and given groceries, shoes and winter clothing >>> from the Red Cross. No Penn students were harmed. >>> >>> Transition to Independent Living operated for 23 years assisting disabled >>> adults live on their own. >>> >>> “Usually we get there to contain the fire in time,” Fire Department >>> Executive Chief Daniel Williams said. “Fires happen — it is what it is. >>> Sometimes it’s just a careless action that causes it.” >>> >>> The Windermere Court apartments, located at 48th and Walnut streets, was >>> the site of a five-alarm fire earlier this year. >>> >>> On Jan. 10, the fire gutted the residential complex, leaving nearly 200 >>> tenants homeless. >>> >>> With various protests for the owner to allow residents to salvage their >>> belongings, the case has since been closed and labeled ‘undetermined’ by >>> the Fire Marshal’s Office based on evidence and interviews it conducted. >>> >>> Plans for the building remain uncertain, but the Windermere complex has >>> been classified as “Imminently Dangerous,” Philadelphia Licenses and >>> Inspections spokeswoman Maura Kennedy said. According to Kennedy, less than >>> 1 percent of Licenses and Inspections cases reach such classification. >>> >>> “It’s not unusual for us to have many significant fires in one part of the >>> city,” Bonner said of the three West Philadelphia fires. “There’s no reason >>> to believe they are related.” >>> >>> Philadelphia averages 700 incidents of fire a day, Bonner said, adding that >>> this year the number was unusually high compared to past winters. >>> >>> Bonner said the biggest problems with fire emergencies are the lack of >>> working smoke detectors and victims’ refusal to ‘get out and stay out.’ >>> Last year, 30 fatalities resulted just from people going back into a >>> building to look for a person or retrieve an item. >>> >>> “In winter, you have people in houses using heating plants and electric >>> heater appliances,” Williams added. >>> >>> The Philadelphia Fire Department cautions students and West Philadelphia >>> residents to “Make sure houses are not full of clutter, since that is fuel >>> for fire,” Williams said. “Residents should have a working smoke alarm to >>> give early warning that there is a problem.” >>> >>> A benefit show for those affected by the Windermere fire will take place at >>> The Rotunda on Friday, March 4. >>> >>> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "UCNeighbors" >> group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected] >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/ucneighbors?hl=en > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "UCNeighbors" > group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/ucneighbors?hl=en
