Two St. Louis Area Children Lose Their Lives in a House Fire
A house fire in Roxana left two children dead this weekend. The fire occurred in a three apartment house on East Third Street. A heroic neighbor alerted authorities and helped evacuate the other two couples living in the house. Soot-covered and gasping for air, four adults and one infant managed to escape the house. Sadly, two children, a boy and girl aged six and five, died in the fire. Firefighters responded to the 9-1-1 call in just four minutes, but said they were still too late, and there was nothing they could have done to save the children. The 6-week-old sister of the two lost children received prompt medical attention for her respiratory distress and seems to be recovering.
The house consisted of three apartments: two on the ground floor and one upstairs. The ground floor units seemed to have had at least one working smoke detector, but fire alarms were conspicuously absent from the unit upstairs. Further investigation determined that the fire was of no suspicious origin, but likely began in the kitchen of the upstairs apartment. It could have started because of old, malfunctioning appliances or a short in the wiring that caused a spark. No matter the cause, the family living in the apartment did not have sufficient warning because there were no working smoke detectors in their home.
If you rent your home, always make sure that the smoke detectors in the house or apartment work properly before signing a lease and moving in. The lessor, or landlord, has an obligation to ensure the safety of the space for those who wish to rent. The presence of working smoke detectors is an indispensable safety measure.
If you have lost someone you love because of another person’s negligence, you have certain rights. Contact a skilled Missouri wrongful death attorney at Page Law today. Though nothing will ever replace your lost loved one, a dedicated accidental death lawyer at Page Law can help you recover a monetary settlement to help with funeral costs and other expenses. A live person will be available for a free consultation 24 hours a day. Call (314) 322-8515.
