Excerpted from EmergencyNet News Service -- 07/07/96--Vol. 2, #189

NATIONAL FIRE/EMS NEWS BRIEFS


ENN 7/7/96 08:16

Engine Explodes; Two Dead, 7 Injured

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA (ENN) - An engine on a Delta Airlines MD-88 exploded during takeoff on Saturday afternoon killing two passengers. Seven other people were injured as the plane was being evacuated. A Delta Airlines spokesman said that the left engine of the two-engine plane failed during the takeoff at Pensacola Regional Airport. It was reported that the dead victims were a mother and her 12-year-old son. The Delta spokesman said they were killed when "parts of the engine penetrated the cabin."

The Escambia County Emergency Medical Services director said that the dead victims suffered "major trauma."

Delta Flight 1288 was attempting to takeoff for Atlanta at the time of the incident with 147 souls on board. A spokesperson for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said that the plane was about 1,500 feet down the runway when it stopped. The plane came to a halt on the runway and emergency slides were immediately used to evacuate passengers.

The Delta spokesman said, "It experienced a failure of the left engine at the start of the roll period in take off from Pensacola, Florida, at approximately 2:20 p.m. CDT."

One passenger said that the engine exploded just seconds after the pilot applied full power to begin the takeoff. The passenger said, "As soon as he hit the gas, the left engine blew. Shrapnel went flying into the back end of the airplane."

ENN 7/7/96 07:38

One Dead and 6 Hurt in Queens Fire; Deadly B-B-Q

NEW YORK CITY (ENN) - A fire sparked by hot coals in a barbecue grill sitting in the vestibule of a Queens home on Saturday morning killed a 63-year-old woman and injured six other people, four of them critically. Firefighters reportedly made two dramatic rescues and three children and one adult were transported to a Manhattan burn hospital.

The blaze started at about 0600 EDT in a 2-story brick dwelling located at 123-18 Hillside Avenue. The FDNY arrived within four minutes of the first call and found an 8-year-old female badly burned and disorientated in front of the house. The 37-year-old father of the girl staggered next from the home, his clothes nearly burned from his body. The mother of the child and tenant in the basement suffered only minor injuries.

As EMS personnel were tending to the father and girl, firefighters climbed to the second floor and rescued two girls, aged 5 and 7. Both girls were unconscious as they were pulled out of the burning building. Rescuers were unable to reach the girls' grandmother in time. She was killed by the quick-moving fire in her second floor bedroom. FDNY Lt. Jim Graney of Engine Company 298 said, "Her body was completely burned."

The blaze is still under investigation, but Fire Marshals believe that the fire was ignited by coals in a barbeque grill. Authorities said the family had doused the highly combustible cooking coals with water and brought the grill inside of the house for the night.

ENN 7/7/96 07:56

Gas Explosion Blamed for 12 Injuries; Coney Island

NEW YORK CITY (ENN) - A gas explosion triggered dozens of fires in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn on Saturday. At least 12 people were injured, six of them seriously. The explosion happened at about 1530 EDT, near the intersection of Stillwell Avenue and Neptune Avenue, when a private contractor trying to repair a damaged water main accidently cracked a gas main, causing the street to collapse. Flames from the ensuing fire shot as high as 15 feet into the air about two blocks from the famous Coney Island amusement park. Five hours after the explosion, the fire was still burning.

A spokesman for the FDNY explained, "Firefighters can't put the flames out because they have to allow the gas to burn off. If you put the flames out, the gas would build up in area basements and could cause a much more serious explosion."

Ten of the injured victims were employees for Brooklyn Union Gas. Six of the more seriously injured victims suffered second- and third-degree burns. A spokesman for Brooklyn Union Gas said, "It was one of the worst gas accidents" he had ever seen in the last 25 years.

ENN 7/6/96 14:33

NYC Fire/Police Departments Battles Fireworks Injuries
By Paul Anderson, ENN Metro Correspondent

NEW YORK CITY (ENN) - The July Fourth holiday is always the busiest day for New York City public safety agencies. This year was no exception. In a post-mortem to evaluate the response from the police, fire and EMS, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani had to defend his statement of saying on Thursday night that this year's July Fourth Celebration was the safest "in recorded history."

The FDNY reported that they were actually busier this year than they were last year with emergency calls. Giuliani conceded, "There were parts of the city where there were illegal fireworks, but those areas have been significantly reduced."

The NYPD deployed officers to 13 targeted neighborhoods in a show of force to stop people from lighting anything from sparklers to high explosives.

Despite the crackdown, Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen said that his department responded to 1,598 emergency calls on Thursday. That was up from 1,562 calls in 1995. Von Essen could not explain the slight increase except by saying that "it's always the busiest day of the year." The Fire Commissioner did say that there were fewer serious fires this year than there were last year.

The Emergency Medical Service showed a 9 percent decrease this year over last year. They responded to 3,197 calls on Thursday. In 1995, they had 3,500 calls. 38 people were transported with fireworks-related injuries. That was down from 50 in 1995.

ENN 7/7/96 08:58

Ventura County Firefighters Battle Brushfires

VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA (ENN) - About 100 firefighters with ten engine companies, three helicopters, three air tankers, three hand drews and two bulldozers battled a fast-moving 375-acre brush fire near Ventura, California, on Saturday. The fire was located in the hills just north of the city. The blaze was supposed to be fully contained by Saturday night.

(c) EmergencyNet News Service, 1996, All Rights Reserved.
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