fireplace embers sparked deadly conn fire

8/3/2019 Fireplace Embers Sparked Deadly Conn Fire

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Fireplace embers sparked deadlyConn. blaze

Firefighter Nick Tamburro pays respectoutside the home of Madonna Badger in Stamford, Conn., Dec. 27, 2011. A fire at thehome on Christmas morning killed Badger's parents and three young daughters. (AP)

(CBS/AP) STAMFORD, Conn. - A Christmas morning fire that killed acouple and three of their grandchildren was accidentally started by oldfireplace embers that had been discarded near a first-floor entryway,officials said Tuesday.

The officials also said it wasn't clear if the home had working smokedetectors. Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia called the fire a "tragicaccident," not the result of foul play.

Officials on Tuesday described a frantic scene after rescuers arrivedearly Sunday.

Neighbors said they were awakened by screams shortly before 5 a.m.and rushed outside to help but could do nothing as flames devouredthe large Victorian home.

Stamford acting Fire Chief Antonio Conte said the children's mother,Madonna Badger, had climbed out a window onto scaffolding and thena flat roof. She was screaming for her children and able to tellfirefighters which bedrooms they were in. She and the other person


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who escaped, a contractor working on the house, may have beentrying to get back in.

But deputy fire chief Bill Smith told WCBS it was too late.

"Our engine crews had to take them from the roof so we could startrescue operations," he said. "Our crews made it into the building andwe searched, but unfortunately the people were not where we thoughtthey were going to be."

Firefighters climbed to the third floor twice, but the heat and flameswere too intense and the children were not where they thought theywould be, he said. Bodies were found on the second and third floors,

one of them in a hallway, he said.Badger's father, Lomer Johnson, was found outside, on the roof of asmall porch off a bedroom, Pavia said. "It appears that he either wastrying to get to his granddaughter from the outside or that he wasleading his granddaughter out," the mayor said.

Flames were shooting out of the house when firefighters arrived, saidBrendan Keatley, a Stamford firefighter who was at the scene and

president of the local firefighters union."Two sides of the structure were walls of flame," Keatley said.

Firefighters used a ladder and construction scaffolding outside thehouse to reach the third floor, but they ran into extreme heat and poor visibility in a hallway, Keatley said. Four firefighters were injured asthey searched for the victims, including a captain who sufferedsecond-degree burns on his face, Keatley said.

Fighting the fire took a physical and an emotional toll, he said, andcounselors were being made available to firefighters.

"We are devastated, just like everybody else is devastated," Keatleysaid Tuesday.


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Badger, a New York advertising executive who owned the home, andher male acquaintance escaped. Her parents, Lomer and PaulineJohnson, who were visiting for the holidays, were killed, as were her three daughters 10-year-old Lily and 7-year-old twins Grace and

Sarah."I can't imagine waking up one day and having my children and myparents dead in one swoop like that," Stamford resident Tom Olsontold WCBS in New York . "I don't think I even understand the depth of that pain."

The Johnsons lived in Southbury, about 45 miles northeast of Stamford. Lomer Johnson had worked as a department store Santa

Claus this season after a long career as a safety chief at Louisville,Ky.-based liquor maker Brown-Forman Corp., which he retired fromseveral years ago.

The acquaintance who escaped, Michael Borcina, is a contractor whohad done work on the home.

The severely damaged Victorian house situated along the Connecticutshoreline was torn down Monday after the buildings department

determined it was unsafe and ordered it razed, Stamford fire Chief Antonio Conte said.

Badger, an ad executive in the fashion industry, is the founder of NewYork-based Badger & Winters Group. She was treated at a hospitaland was discharged by Sunday evening, a hospital supervisor said.Her whereabouts were unknown.

A person answering the phone Tuesday at the Badger & Winters

Group said it had no statement or comment.

Borcina was listed in fair condition Tuesday at Stamford Hospital,meaning his vital signs were normal but he may be uncomfortable. Hedeclined to comment through a hospital spokeswoman.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/12/27/officials-to-release-investigation-results-of-fatal-stamford-fire-that-killed-5-on-christmas/http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/12/27/officials-to-release-investigation-results-of-fatal-stamford-fire-that-killed-5-on-christmas/http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/12/27/officials-to-release-investigation-results-of-fatal-stamford-fire-that-killed-5-on-christmas/http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/12/27/officials-to-release-investigation-results-of-fatal-stamford-fire-that-killed-5-on-christmas/http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/12/27/officials-to-release-investigation-results-of-fatal-stamford-fire-that-killed-5-on-christmas/


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Borcina, 52, of New York City, is the owner of Tiberias ConstructionInc., which renovates expensive homes and businesses. Thecompany's projects have included a Donna Karan store and artist AlexBeard's studio, both in New York City, and the White House Christmas

wishing tree, according to the construction firm's website.Borcina and Badger are friends on Facebook, and he said on hisFacebook page that he enjoys skydiving and scuba diving.

Property records show Badger bought the five-bedroom, waterfronthome for $1.7 million last year. The house was situated in ShippanPoint, a wealthy neighborhood that juts into Long Island Sound.

The lot where the house stood was covered with charred debris andcordoned off by police with tape on Monday. Passers-by left floralbouquets, stuffed animals and candles.

Badger previously spent time on Shelter Island, a small, exclusivecommunity at the eastern end of Long Island, N.Y. Town Supervisor James Dougherty said Tuesday that Madonna Badger served a fewyears ago on the town's deer and tick committee, which oversees thetown's program to maintain healthy deer while eliminating tick-borne

diseases.Lomer Johnson worked as a Santa this year at Saks Fifth Avenue'sflagship store in Manhattan, a store spokeswoman said.

"Mr. Johnson was Saks Fifth Avenue's beloved Santa, and we areheartbroken about this terrible tragedy," spokeswoman Julia Bentlysaid in a statement.

Holmes, who worked with Johnson for more than a decade at Brown-Forman, remembered his co-worker as a big man with white hair anda commanding presence.

"He was a man of not a lot of words, but when Lomer spoke or gavehis opinion, it was always well thought-out," Holmes said.


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He said he was a bit surprised that the longtime security chief hadbecome a department store Santa but added, "I could see Lomer doing something like that because Lomer had a passion for people."

Johnson worked for years as a security and safety chief for Brown-Forman, the company that makes Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskeyand Southern Comfort. He was responsible for safety at thecompany's headquarters and production plants and his responsibilitiesincluded helping plan fire drills, Holmes said.

Conn. fir e victim had long career trying to prevent danger as safetychief

"He spen t his life as a safety profession al making sure our facilitieswere saf e from fire," Holmes said. "And in the event there was a fire,that peop le knew what to do in terms of getting out of the b uildings."

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348864 /fireplace-embers-sparked-deadly-conn-blaze/

VIDEO - Deadly Conn. Blaze Caused by Fireplace Embers

VIDEO - Stamford home razed after fire

VIDEO - Stamford fire 911 recordings

VIDEO - Eyewitness account of Shippan Ave. fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZDvHeMTS-Qhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxr9H3px5DEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxr9H3px5DEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxr9H3px5DEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b-6M5v14-M&feature=g-all-u&context=G2838e0bFAAAAAAAAWAAhttp://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348864/fireplace-embers-sparked-deadly-conn-blaze/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b-6M5v14-M&feature=g-all-u&context=G2838e0bFAAAAAAAAWAAhttp://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348864/fireplace-embers-sparked-deadly-conn-blaze/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348864/fireplace-embers-sparked-deadly-conn-blaze/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348864/fireplace-embers-sparked-deadly-conn-blaze/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348528/conn-fire-victim-was-ky-companys-safety-chief/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348528/conn-fire-victim-was-ky-companys-safety-chief/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348528/conn-fire-victim-was-ky-companys-safety-chief/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZDvHeMTS-Qhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZDvHeMTS-Qhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uGht19Vp90http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uGht19Vp90http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxr9H3px5DEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxr9H3px5DEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b-6M5v14-M&feature=g-all-u&context=G2838e0bFAAAAAAAAWAAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b-6M5v14-M&feature=g-all-u&context=G2838e0bFAAAAAAAAWAAhttp://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348864/fireplace-embers-sparked-deadly-conn-blaze/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348864/fireplace-embers-sparked-deadly-conn-blaze/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348864/fireplace-embers-sparked-deadly-conn-blaze/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348864/fireplace-embers-sparked-deadly-conn-blaze/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348528/conn-fire-victim-was-ky-companys-safety-chief/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348528/conn-fire-victim-was-ky-companys-safety-chief/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348528/conn-fire-victim-was-ky-companys-safety-chief/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57348528/conn-fire-victim-was-ky-companys-safety-chief/


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So close to safety: Madonna Badgers boyfriend Michael Borcino nearly got girls

out of death houseBrother says Madonna Badger is as devastated as you could imagineBY MATTHEW LYSIAK & LARRY MCSHANE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Originally Published: Tuesday, December 27 2011, 10:53 AMUpdated: Tuesday, December 27 2011, 5:45 PM

Family PhotoSho wn in picture are M ad onna Badgers pare nts Pauline Johnson, and Lomer Johnson

(standing); Pauline Johnson holds granddaughter, Sarah. All three perished, along with Sarahssister, Lily Badger and Grace Badger (shown seated, l to r). The thir girl is Badgers niece,Morgan Johnson, who was not involved in the fire.
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Madonna Badger, who lost he r three children an d her parents in fire.

So close.

Two of the girls killed in a horrific Christmas fire were nearly led to safety by their mothers boyfriend before disappearing into the smoke and chaos, officials saidTuesday.

Connecticut authorities detailed the terrifying final minutes before the three youngsisters and their grandparents perished inside a three-story mansion consumed byflames.

In addition to one girl who died just inches from her grandfather in a vain rescue try, oneof her sisters was found dead at the bottom of a staircase near her grandmother,officials said.

It was unclear if the home, which was undergoing renovations, had working fire alarms.

Authorities confirmed the blaze was accidentally ignited by fireplace embers left inside arear foyer by the boyfriend, Michael Borcino .

Two sides of the $1.7 million waterfront mansion were blazing when firefighters arrivedon the scene shortly before 5 a.m. Christmas morning.

The desperate attempts to rescue the trapped kids and their grandparents left four firefighters injured, including a Stamford fire captain with second-degree burns on hisface.

Borcino was able to take two of the girls from their third floor rooms to the second floor of the mansion where officials said he became separated from the panicked pair.

Marketing executive Madonna Badger still doesnt know the grim details of theunthinkable tragedy, her brother said Tuesday.
http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Michael+Borcinohttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Madonna+Badgerhttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Madonna+Badgerhttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Michael+Borcinohttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Michael+Borcino


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Badger was as devastated as you could imagine, Wade Johnson said. Like anymother and child would be. Shes largely unaware of many of the details ... Shesresting.

Badger, who escaped the inferno at her Connecticut mansion, wasnt told that her father died trying to save one of his granddaughters.

Their bodies were found just inches apart on either side of an open window amid therubble.

No funeral arrangements were announced, but the grandfather, Lomer Johnson , andgrandmother, Pauline Johnson , will be buried in Newfo undland, C anada, Wade Johnson said.

Killed along with the Johnsons were Badgers three girls: 10-year-old Lily, and 7-year-old twins Sarah and Grace.

Three distraught neighbors called 911 to report the raging fire on Shippan Ave. inStamford, with the first calling a second time after she was disconnected, according totapes released Tuesday.

Theres a huge fire at the house next door to us, an anguished female neighbor tellsthe 911 operator. The whole house is on fire. Theres a woman and three kids ... Its thehouse next door, a major fire, and theres three kids and a woman.

After her call cuts off, the woman redials with a breathless last request: Please comequickly.

A second woman, after hearing firefighters were on the way, asked, Is everyone okay?

A male caller barely managed to get out, "It's on Shippan Point. It's a fire," before hewas assured that the Fire Department was en route.

Wade Johnson

recounted his fathers devotion to children and his second career as a Santa for hire.

He was the best I ever knew, Johnson said. He loved kids, and he was magic withthem.

On the day be fore his death, L omer Johnson in full Kris Kringle regalia thrilled kids visiting the flagship Saks Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan in the ninth-floor child rensdepartment.

A little girl went up to his manager at Saks and said, Youre so lucky to work here. Ivebeen to Macys, but thats not the real Santa Claus. You have the real Santa Claus,Johnson recalled.

That was my dad. The real Santa Claus.

Badger, 47, and her boyfriend, contractor Borcino, were the only survivors, with bothdesperately trying to get back into the burning building to rescue the trapped kids.
http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Santa+Claushttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Pauline+Johnsonhttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Wade+Johnsonhttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Lomer+Johnsonhttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Santa+Claushttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Santa+Claushttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Wade+Johnsonhttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Wade+Johnsonhttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Pauline+Johnsonhttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Pauline+Johnsonhttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Lomer+Johnsonhttp://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Lomer+Johnson


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[email protected]

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/madonna-badger-spared-details-fire-killed-3-daughters-amp-parents-article-1.997268#ixzz1hmSmXgVW

Old fireplace embers caused deadlyConn. fireBy JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, Associated Press

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) Two of the little sisters who died in afurious house fire early Christmas morning lost their way as a family

friend tried to lead them to safety. Their other sister died just feet fromescape, trapped inside as her grandfather perished during his rescueattempt. Outside, their mother frantically tried to direct firefighters toher doomed family.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/madonna-badger-spared-details-fire-killed-3-daughters-amp-parents-article-1.997268#ixzz1hmSmXgVWhttp://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/madonna-badger-spared-details-fire-killed-3-daughters-amp-parents-article-1.997268#ixzz1hmSmXgVWhttp://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/madonna-badger-spared-details-fire-killed-3-daughters-amp-parents-article-1.997268#ixzz1hmSmXgVWhttp://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/madonna-badger-spared-details-fire-killed-3-daughters-amp-parents-article-1.997268#ixzz1hmSmXgVWhttp://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/madonna-badger-spared-details-fire-killed-3-daughters-amp-parents-article-1.997268#ixzz1hmSmXgVWmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Authorities on Tuesday described that chaotic scene of frantic, futileattempts to save the three girls and their grandparents after embers ina bag of discarded fireplace ashes started the accidental fire at thegrand waterfront house, which was being renovated.

"We are devastated, just like everybody else is devastated," saidBrendan Keatley, a Stamford firefighter who was at the scene.

Of the seven people in the home, there were only two survivors: thegirls' mother, a New York City fashion advertising executive; and afamily friend who had worked on the home as a contractor and isbelieved to have placed the ashes in or outside an entryway, near thetrash.

Flames quickly entered the house, spread throughout the first floor and licked upstairs, trapping the girls, the grandparents, the mother and the contractor, the city fire marshal said.

That's when screams began to wake the neighborhood, soon followedby the whine of fire engines.

As flames shot from the home, Madonna Badger climbed out a

window onto scaffolding, screaming for her children and pointing tothe third floor.

Firefighters used a ladder and construction scaffolding outside thehouse to reach the third floor, but heat and poor visibility in a hallwayturned them back, Keatley said.

The family friend, Michael Borcina, told firefighters on the ground thathe had taken two girls to the second floor, but that they got separated

because of the heat. Firefighters then returned to the second floor butagain were forced out by the blaze's intensity.

"Not for (not) trying, that's for sure," acting Fire Chief Antonio Contesaid.


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There was somebody else trying to save the girls, too their grandfather, Lomber Johnson. One of the girls, found dead just insidea window, had been placed on a pile of a pile of books, apparently sohe could reach in and grab her after he jumped out.

Instead, authorities say, he fell through the roof outside the windowand was found dead in the rear of the house.

He and his wife, Pauline, both of Southbury, had been visiting their daughter for the holidays. The grandmother also died in the fire alongwith 10-year-old Lily and 7-year-old twins Grace and Sarah.

One girl was found dead on the third floor, and the body of another

was found with the grandmother's at the bottom of the stairs leading tothe third floor.

Four firefighters were injured, including a captain who sufferedsecond-degree burns on his face, Keatley said.

Lomer Johnson had worked as a department store Santa Claus thisseason after a long career as a safety chief at Louisville, Ky.-basedliquor maker Brown-Forman Corp., from which he retired several

years ago.Badger is the founder of New York-based Badger & Winters Group.

She was treated at a hospital and was discharged by Sunday evening,a hospital supervisor said. Her whereabouts Tuesday were unknown.

Borcina, 52, was in fair condition Tuesday at Stamford Hospital anddeclined to comment through a hospital spokeswoman.

He owns Tiberias Construction Inc., which renovates expensivehomes and businesses. The company's projects have included a

Donna Karan store and artist Alex Beard's studio, both in New YorkCity, and the White House Christmas wishing tree, according to theconstruction firm's website.


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According to the Department of Consumer Protection, Borcina wasregistered for a brief time more than 10 years ago, but neither Borcinanor his company, Tiberias Construction Inc., are currently registered to

perform home improvement work in Connecticut.Property records show Badger bought the five-bedroom Victorianhome for $1.7 million last year. The house was situated in ShippanPoint, a wealthy neighborhood that juts into Long Island Sound.

Most of the second floor was being renovated, and Badger wasawaiting a final inspection, said Ernie Ogera, director of operations for the city of Stamford.

According to the city's zoning ordinances, he said, the family shouldhave been living only in the unrenovated sections of the house.

Investigators do not yet know whether anyone was staying inrenovated sections that had not been approved.

City building inspectors last examined the work in July and did not findany problems, he said.

There were plans for hard-wired smoke alarms, but they had not beenhooked up, Ogera said. Officials did not know whether battery-operated ones were being used.

Badger previously spent time on Shelter Island, a small, exclusivecommunity at the eastern end of New York's Long Island. TownSupervisor James Dougherty said Tuesday that she served a fewyears ago on the town's deer and tick committee, which oversees the

town's program to maintain healthy deer while eliminating tick-bornediseases.

Borcina's exact relationship to the family outside of his work as acontractor was unclear Tuesday. He and Badger are friends onFacebook, and he said on his Facebook page that he enjoys skydivingand scuba diving.


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A person answering the phone Tuesday at the Badger & WintersGroup said it had no statement or comment.

Embers from a fireplace can remain hot enough to start a fire as longas a day later, said Thomas Olshanski, spokesman for the U.S. FireAdministration, an agency that handles fire data collection and publicfire education. If they need to be removed, they should be put in ametal container and set outdoors for a day, he said.

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Susan Haigh,Stephen Singer and Dave Collins in Hartford, Bruce Schreiner inLouisville, Ky., and Tom Hays in New York.

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jtD_8UTGyZQVsvTlAADpfi5WkCmQ?docId=8a2ce8d9e5f342a5925fe0670f359ef7
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About USFA Espaol Contact UsSearch

USFA Home Citizens Home Fire Prevention Heating Fireplaces

Fireplace and Home Fire Safety

More than one-third of Americans use replaces, wood stovesand other fuel-red appliances as primary heat sources in theirhomes. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the rerisks when heating with wood and solid fuels.

Heating res account for 36% of residential home res in ruralareas every year. Often these res are due to creosote buildupin chimneys and stovepipes. All home heating systems requireregular maintenance to function safely and e f ciently.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) encourages you topractice the following re safety steps to keep those home ressafely burning. Remember, re safety is your personalresponsibility ...Fire Stops With You!

Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean

Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleanedannually by a certied chimney specialist.

Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorationsand ammable materials.

Leave glass doors open while burning a re. Leaving thedoors open ensures that the re receives enough air to
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ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote frombuilding up in the chimney.

Close glass doors when the re is out to keep air from thechimney opening from getting into the room. Most glassreplace doors have a metal mesh screen which should beclosed when the glass doors are open. This mesh screenhelps keep embers from getting out of the replace area.

Always use a metal mesh screen with replaces that do nothave a glass replace door.

Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor uetemperatures.

Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict airsupply to replaces. Otherwise you may cause creosotebuildup that could lead to a chimney re.

Use re-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves.

Safely Burn Fuels

Never use ammable liquids to start a re.

Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood acceleratescreosote buildup.

Build small res that burn completely and produce lesssmoke.

Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in yourreplace or wood stove.

When building a re, place logs at the rear of the replaceon an adequate supporting grate.

Never leave a re in the replace unattended. Extinguishthe re before going to bed or leaving the house.

Soak hot ashes in water and place them in a metalcontainer outside your home.


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Protect the Outside of Your Home

Stack rewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from yourhome.

Ke ep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and otherdebris.

Cover the chimney with a mesh screen spark arrester.

Remove branches hanging above the chimney, ues orvents.

Protect the Inside of Your Home

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home andinside and outside of sleeping areas. Test them monthlyand change the batteries at least once a year. Considerinstalling the new long life smoke alarms.

Provide proper venting systems for all heating equipment.

Extend all vent pipes at least three feet above the roof.

Video: Fireplace SafetyIn this video series, National Fire Academy Deputy Superintendent RobNeale describes the techniques to build an enjoyable and saferecreational re in your home. This video describes the materials neededto build a re in a woodstove or replace, while simultaneouslyaddressing re safety issues. The series includes an overview oninspecting the replace, appropriate materials to burn, and how tocontrol the re to prevent unwanted accidents.Watch the Video

Source: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_re_prev/heating/replace.shtm
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Fire marshal: Hot embers sparked fatal fireStaff reportsUpdated 08:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Ashes cited in fatal fire 12.27.2011 09:52 p.m.

The base of the mailbox bearing the address 2267 Shippan Ave. wasencircled Tuesday afternoon with bouquets of roses, a wreath, stuffedChristmas animals, a Santa Claus figure and messages. One message is achild's drawing of three children signed "Allie G."

STAMFORD -- Chief Fire Marshal Barry Callahan said theShippan Point fire on Christma s Day that killed thr ee childrenand two adults was caused by hot embers being cleaned out of the fireplace and improperly placed in a mudroom or outdoorgarbage enclosure next to the house.

At a 4 p.m. press conference at Government Center in front of

dozens of cameras an d reporters, Callahan said th atcontractor and friend Michael Borcina , who was renovatingthe house for owner Madonna Badger, 47, cleaned out thefireplace that had been used for a fire sometime earlierChristmas Eve.

Before the two went to bed between 3 and 3:30 a.m. early Christmas Day , Borcina put the embers and ashes into some

sort of b ag and either left them in the newly constructedmudroo m at the rear of the house or placed them in anoutdoor garbage enclosure attached to the mudroom,Callahan said.
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Firefighters were summoned to the 3,350 square-foot Victorian at 2267 Shippan Ave., at 4:52 a.m.

Callahan said that the results of his investigation arepreliminary and the investigation into the accidental fire thatkilled Badger's three daughters, Lily 10 and twins Sarah andGrace, 7, and parents Lomer and Pauline Johnson of Southbury, is continuing.

"The origin was determined to be on the first floor rear cornerof the house in the immediate area of a mudroom and trash bin enclosure," he said.

Callahan said the fire entered the house quickly and spreadthroughout the first floor and up through the staircases andareas open to the second floor.

"It appears that all occupants were awakened and proceedingto escape at the time of the fire," he said.

As to whether or not there were working fire alarms or smokedetectors in the home is a question still not wholly answered.

Stamford Director of Operations Ernie Orgera said the home was under renovation and while there was a plan for firealarms and smoke detectors they could not be certain if they were installed or operating.

"We don't believe there were any fire detection sys tems orsmoke alarms activated in the house," Orgera said.

He explained that until the renovation project was fully completed, the city would not inspect all the safety systems inthe house and issue a Certificate of Approval for the premises.
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But because the existing structure had a certificate of occupancy, the family was able to live in the house.

Callaha n said th at during his initial interview with Borcinaand Bad ger, he was unable to determine if there were smokedetectors in the house.

Callahan said that he was trying to schedule a follow upinterview with Badger and Borcina, who remains in stablecondition at Stamford Hospital .

Technically, however, the occupants of the home should not

have been living in the renovated part of the home whichinclude d all of the sec ond floor besides the master bedroomuntil the final inspection had been made, Ogera said.

On top of the work done on the second floor, renovations hadtaken place in the kitchen, bathrooms, some minor changes to walls and the addition of the small laundry room/mud roomat the rear of the house.

Mayor Michael Pavia said that before the last inspection had been done at the house in July every other inspection wentaccording to plan and the work Borcina did was in compliance with city bui lding codes.

The base of the mailbox bearing the address 2267 Shippan Ave. was encircled Tuesday afternoon with bouquets of roses,a wreath, stuffed Christmas animals, a Santa Claus figure andmessages. One message is a child's drawing of three childrensigned " Allie G. "
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Acting Fire Chief Antonio Conte said that as the fire wassweeping through the home, Lomer Johnson tried to pull oneof his three granddaughters to safety.

Conte said Johnson made a "valiant effort" to bring the girlout of a w indow in the re ar of home, but Johnson, a formersafety chief at a Kentucky liquor company, was overwhelmed by the intense blaze and died along with his granddaughtersand wife.

Johnson was able to stack some books by the window for hisgranddaughter to step on, but when he got onto the roof where he was found later by firefighters he perished.

"When he stepped through that window his life ended," Contesaid. One of the girls was found on the stack of books.

One of the bodies of the two girls was found with hergrandmother on a stairwell hallway between the second andthird floors. The other daughter was found in a second floor

bedroom, Conte said.Conte said when firefighters arrived they found MadonnaBadger, who moved into the house a year ago this pastThanksgiving, stranded on scaffolding on the second floor of the house. Badger was reportedly trying to reach herdaughters by climbing up the scaffolding.

Badger directed firefighters to the third-floor cupola, wherefire Capt. Mark Shannon and other firefighters climbed thescaffolding and made their way into two rooms withoutfinding anyone.
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Shannon, who received second-degree burns on his face, andthe firefighters tried again and were pushed back.

"That much heat, even with their protective clothes, would notallow them to go further," Conte said.

A police source has said that no criminal charges areanticipated from the investigation into the cause of the blaze.

Borcina was still in the hospital and listed in fair conditionTuesday.

Pavia said he has not spoken with Madonna or Matthew Badger .

Pavia, a longtime developer who owns Pavia Development LLC on Hope Street, said the old Victorian home's framingmay have contributed to the fire's rapid spread.

"It was probably 110-years-old or more," Pavia said. "It was built in what they call balloon framing. In balloon framing there's not the types of fire stops we have between floors intoday's buildings. A fire that would start in a lower level or a basement in a balloon-framed house would jus t be pulle dright up to the attic. Almost like a chimney effect through the walls."

Pavia said the mood at the Government Center has beensomber since the fire. The mayor said he keeps replaying thedetails of the event over and over in his mind, thinking of allthe ways the tragedy could have ended differently.

"I don't know why people do this, but if just one of those littlethings was different," he said. "The series of events that took place, and the unbearable result, you just wish there would
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have been some turn that would made the outcome a lotdifferent."

Source: http://www.chron.com/local/article/Fire-marshal-Hot-embers-sparked-fatal-fire-2426661.php

Madonna Badger: Fire Caused byDiscarded Hot EmbersBy IBTIMES STAFF REPORTER : Subscribe to IBTimes's RSS feedDecember 28, 2011 9:32 AM EST

The Christmas Day house fire that killed Madonna Badger's threedaughters - Lily, Grace and Sarah -- and her parents - Lomer and PaulineJohnson -- was caused by discarded hot embers remo ved from thefireplace, authorities report. Only Badger and her boyf riend, contractor Michael B orcina, escaped alive.
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(Photo: Twitter / @madonnabadger)The Christmas Day house fire that killed Madonna Badgers three daughters Lily, Grace andSarah -- and her parents Lomer and Pauline Joh nson -- was caused by discarded hot embersremoved from the fireplace, authorities are reportin g. Only Badger and her boyfriend, contractor Michael Borcina, escaped alive.

"The fire appears to have been caused by hot fireplace ashes and embers,which had been discarded," said Barry Callahan, chief fire marshal inStamford, Connecticut. Officials said th at everyone had awakened after the blaze erupted and was trying to esc ape.

According to preliminary findings, foul pl ay has been ruled out. The fire thatengulfed the Victorian waterfront home was declared accidental. However,the investigation is ongoing.

The blaze tore through the $1.7 million h ome at 5 am on Christmasmorning. Badger, a fashion advertising e xecutive who works in New York ,purchased the house in December 2010 . Sometime after 3 am, Borcinaremoved the hot fireplace ashes and dis carded them in a bag in thehouse's mudroom or a nearby trash con tainer, Callahan said Tuesday.
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Two hours later, firefighters arrived on the scene, where they found Ms.Badger on a second-f loor scaffold. She directed the crew to the third flo or where her children were sleeping, reports The New York Times.

The burning embers started the fire, which was so intense and hot thatfirefighters were pushed back when attempting to reach the other familymembers, Acting Fire Chief Antonio Conte told reporters. Once inside, theyfound the bodies of the grandmother and the three girls - a 10-year-old and7-year-old twins.

The grandfather collapsed through the rafters outside a window. Here,crews found one of the girls, Conte said, indicating that he had been tryingto get his granddaughter out. "You have to realize with the amount of heatand smoke how scared those children must have been," Chief Conte said,

"and they just left him."Johnson worked as a Santa at Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and he andhis wife were visiting Stamford to celebrate the holidays and their 49 th wedding anniversary.

City officials said they plan to keep investigating the fire, but will need time."It's going to take a while," Conte said. "That poor woman lost her entirefamily in one fell swoop."

"We're still trying to put the pieces together," he said.It is unclear whether the house had working smoke detectors or not, as itwas undergoing construction. According to the home's building permitapplication, there were plans to install a new security and smoke detectionsystem, Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said, but it is unclear whether theworking smoke detectors had been installed, reports CNN.

"Mrs. Badger lost her three children and her two parents. When we madethe initial contact with Mrs. Badger, the last thing on our minds to talk to her

about was whether or not her building permit was valid or her smokedetector was working or any of that. ... As the follow-up investigationcontinues ... those are questions that we will pursue, but not now," he said.

The city of Stamford deemed the three-sto ry st ructure un safe and razed iton Monday. [Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/273546/20111228/madonna-badger-fire-caused-discarded-hot-embers.htm ]
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Hero grandfather Santa diedtrying to save threegranddaughters whoperished in Christmas firetragedy

Mother and male friend escaped from fire thatclaimed lives of her three children and their twograndparents

Body of grandfather Lomer Johnson, whoworked as a Sak's Fifth Avenue Santa Claus,was found on roof outside one of the girl'sbedrooms

Embers from a Christmas Yule log may have

caused the fireBy DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Last updated at 6:13 PM on 27th December 2011 Read mor e: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2078482/Hero-Santa-Claus-died-trying- save-granddaughters-perished-Christmas-tragedy.html#ixzz1hqPT33tB
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A grandfather who perished in a Christmas day blaze that claimedthe lives of his wife and three grandchildren died trying to saveone of the young girls, fire officials said.

Lomer Johnson, 71, had climbed out of a bedroom window at hisdaughter's Stamford, Connecticut home and was helping one of his grandchildren onto the roof when he was overcome by theflames.

The body of Mr Johnson, who had worked his 'dream job' as adepartment store Santa Claus since his retirement, was foundcovered in fire debris outside an open third-story window, fireofficials said.


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Putting others first: Lomer Johnson, 71, centre, worked as adepartment store Santa Claus. He died trying to save one of hisgrandchildren. His wife Pauline, 69, and three granddaughters, allpictured, also died in the fire

Rubble: The house has been demolished by firefighters after the fatalblaze

On the other side of the window - just inches behind him - officialsfound the body of one of his granddaughters.

'I think he had his granddaughter, and he tried to get her out,'Stamford Fire Chief Antonio Conte said.

'He went out the window first. She was right there, and hesuccumbed right on the outside, and she died on the inside. Shewas right next to him.'

Mr Johnson perished with his wife Pauline, 69, and their granddaughters Lily, 10, and seven-year-old twins Sarah andGrace in the 5 a.m. fire at his daughter's home.

Former Calvin Klein artistic director Madonna Badger, 47, andfriend Michael Borcina survived the horrific Christmas day fire.


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Sources told the New York Post that embers from a Yule log arethought to have ignited the inferno.

The ashes may have been still smoldering when they were leftoutside the family's home. The wind may have blown the embersinto the wooden building, sources said.

Tragic: The three young children and their grandparents were killed inthe blaze which completely destroyed their $1.7 million home(pictured) early Christmas morning. The children's mother and a mansurvived


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Destroyed: The five bodies were recovered from the property's

second floor on Christmas dayStamford Mayor Michael Pavia said described the cause as'fireplace-related', but would not provide more details.

A city official added that the age of the house, which was built inthe 1890s, and some more recently installed siding on the outside


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of the building may have allowed the flames to spread moreeasily.

Hero: Lomer Johnson, pictured as his character Happy Santa, workedhis 'dream job' at Saks in Manhattan, New York on the day before hedied

Bulldozers moved in to tear down the property on Wednesday.

Firefighters had desperately tried to reach the family memberswho were trapped on the second floor of the $1,725,000 house.


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Witnesses said Mrs Badger, who runs Badger and Wintersfashion branding consulting firm and created the Mark Wahlbergunderwear adverts for Calvin Klein, was dazed as rescue workershelped her. She was heard saying: 'My whole life is in there.'

She was seen being led away from the flames with acquaintanceMichael Borcina, who was barefoot and wearing boxers and a t-shirt.

Mr Borcina is the president of New York City construction firmTiberias Construction Inc., believed to be the company renovatingthe five-bedroom home.

The Johnsons moved to the New York area from Kentucky five

years ago to be near their grandchildren, according to the NewYork Times.

They would have celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary onMonday.

The day before he died, Mr Johnson, 71, worked at his 'dream job' as Santa Claus at the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store inManhattan, New York, the family member said. Ms Johnson, 69,watched on as he handed out candy canes and posed for pictures.'Thats all he ever wanted to be,' a family member told the NewYork Times. 'He stopped shaving the day he retired.'

Mr Johnson was known as 'Happy Santa' and started the festivecareer after his granddaughter asked him to pretend to be SantaClaus.

On site Gigmasters.com, the former security director writes: 'I'veenjoyed it more than any job I've ever had.'


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Survivors: Mother-of-three and former Calvin Klein art director Madonna Badger, left, and contractor Michael Borcina, right, wereseen being led away by fire officials from the destroyed property onChristmas morning


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Bereaved: Madonna Badger's estranged husband Matthew Badger,pictured, was the father of the girls who died in the fire. Mr Badger,who was in New York at the time, has been described as 'absolutelydistraught'

Witness Charles Mangano, who lives near the scene of the fire,said: 'My wife woke me up and said there was a huge fire that shecould see out the window.

'I ran outside and heard someone yelling ''Help, help, help me''... Iran up the driveway and saw there were tons and tons of fireapparatus here. There was nothing I could do.'

The neighbour added that he didn't know the family who lived in

the home.


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'It is a terrible, terrible day for the city of Stamford . There probably has not been aworse Christmas day in the city of Stamford'

Mayor Michael Pavia

'They moved in this summer, there was a whole construction jobgoing on there... it was new people.'

Madonna Badger was reported to be a 'fair condition' at StamfordHospital on Sunday afternoon. A supervisor at the hospital saidshe was treated and discharged by the evening.Mr Borcina was also hospitalised but his condition was notreleased.

Police officers drove Mrs Badger's husband, Matthew Badger,from his home in Manhattan, New York City to Stamford onSunday morning.

The couple had begun undergoing divorce proceedings, but havean amicable relationship, a relative told the New York Times.Mrs Badger's former super, Trifu Penca, told the New York Postthe couple had separated three years ago. She filed for divorce inOctober.


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Aftermath: Investigators examine the roof of the house whichcollapsed during the deadly fire in Stamford


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Trapped: Sources have said still-burning Yule log embers takenoutside may have started the fire

A relative told the paper that Mr Badger was 'absolutelydistraught' on hearing of his daughters' deaths.'It is a terrible, terrible day for the city of Stamford,' Mayor MichaelPavia told reporters at a news briefing at the scene of the fire.

'There probably has not been a worse Christmas day in the city of Stamford.'


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Deadly blaze: Madonna Badger, who is estranged from her husband,was a Calvin Klein art director

Acting Fire Chief Antonio Conte said desperate attempts byfirefighters to rescue the family were thwarted by the intenseflames and heat.

'We just couldn't get to them,' Conte told reporters clearlyemotional having witnesses the horrific scenes faced by all of theemergency crews. A total of 46 firefighters attended the scene.

The experienced fire chief broke down in tears when asked howthe crews were dealing with such a tragedy during the pressbriefing.

'It's never easy, that's for sure. I've been doing this job for 38years. It's not easy.'


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All five victims were removed from the second floor of the burnt-out building this evening.

He said fire officials do not yet know the cause of the blaze andwill not likely get clues for a few days until fire marshals can enter the house, which has been completely destroyed.

The house was being renovated but fire officials do not believethat was the cause of the blaze.

Neighbor, Sam Cingari Jr., said he was woken by the sound of screaming and saw that the house was entirely engulfed byflames.

'We heard this screaming at five in the morning,' he said. 'Thewhole house was ablaze and I mean ablaze.'


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Emotional: Antonio Conte, Stamford Fire Chief, left, is overcome withemotion as he talks to press about the fatal fire with Michael Pavia,mayor of Stamford, on Christmas day

Property records show Mrs Badger bought the five-bedroom,waterfront Victorian home for $1.7 million last year.

The house is situated in Shippan Point, a wealthy neighborhoodthat juts into Long Island Sound.

Tony Low-Beer, another neighbour, said he was awakened by aneighbor after 4 am who told him about a 'raging fire' next door.

'Cinders were flying all over the place,' he told The AssociatedPress.

The neighbourhood in Stamford, a city of 117,000 residents about25 miles northeast of New York City.

Mayor Michael Pavia said: 'At this point we have nothing further tosay except that our hearts and prayers go out to the family and tothe fire and emergency personnel on the scene.

'We're not going to answer any questions until we get the scenesecured, bodies recovered and find out what the cause was
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Fire: A neighbour was woken up in the early hours by screaming andsaw the house was engulfed in flames

Emergency: Fire crews work at the scene yesterday after makingd h h f il
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fireplace embers sparked deadly conn fire

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