Photo Gallery
1005 Indiana Fire
Lawrence Douglas County Fire and Medical crews respond to a house fire at 1005 Indiana on Thursday.
Photo Gallery
Reader photos: 1005 Indiana Fire
Stephanie Sullivan arrived on the scene of the fire just after the firetrucks did and took these photos. If you have photos or video to submit, <a href="http://www2.ljworld.com/submit/photo/">click here</a>.
Indiana Street Fire
- Ladder's failure hinders effort (July 31, 2008)
- City to buy new fire trucks (June 9, 2008)
- Firefighters acclaimed, fire trucks bemoaned (March 18, 2008)
- Fire chief says more trucks needed (April 25, 2007)
- Fire chief prepares to replace aging trucks (Aug. 14, 2006)
- Boarding homes become new trend in Lawrence (July 25, 2004)
Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical said late Thursday that a fire at 1005 Ind. was caused when a couch on the front porch was ignited by the illegal use of fireworks.
The fire injured two college students, caused $360,000 in damage and totaled the house, Chief Mark Bradford said. The multiple-alarm fire broke out about 5 a.m. Thursday.
The four college-age men inside the house all escaped the fire.
One of the men, Adam Renfro, 21, a KU senior who was asleep in the downstairs when the fire started, said two of his friends jumped from an upper floor of the house.
"I heard my friend yelling like, 'Help, help, help!' from the second floor," he said.
Renfro said he didn't see him jump, "but I saw him laying there really hurt."
When he ran again to get a police officer, his other friend jumped out of the same window, he said.
"Luckily, he was fine," he said.
Bradford said the man had minor smoke inhalation injuries and was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released.
The roommate who jumped, Sam Buhler, a KU senior from Lawrence, was transported to KU Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., with serious injuries he received after jumping to safety, Bradford said. Later, his father, Mark Buhler confirmed he was in stable condition but needed a knee operation.
A third person, a Lawrence firefighter, was also treated at LMH for nonlife-threatening injuries.
Firefighters were called at 5:12 a.m., when a dense layer of fog blanketed Lawrence, making it difficult to distinguish smoke from fog.
"It's a significant incident," Bradford said. "With the amount of fire that's there, it gets into a lot of areas and travels quite quickly."
Renfro said when he ran to the front of the house, "the whole front porch was just lit up."
Bradford said the department's largest ladder truck failed when its ladder would not rise, for unknown reasons, affecting the department's ability to fight the fire.
Off-duty firefighters were called in to cover other calls in Lawrence and Douglas County, while on-duty firefighters responded to the house fire, Bradford said.
A wired alarm system in the home woke two of the men, said Rob Farha, who co-owns the home with three other people. The house is registered to Crimson Properties LLC. Farha has ownership in several properties in Lawrence, including The Wheel, a bar at 14th and Ohio streets.
Farha said that the house was rehabilitated four years ago and that the fire was devastating.
"I wish you could've seen what we had done - pretty proud of it, it was pretty nice," Farha said. "We put a lot into it, but by the looks, it's destroyed."
The Douglas County chapter of the American Red Cross is working with the home's occupants to provide emergency assistance.
Comments
ksrover 8 years, 11 months ago
Less than .01% of the population??? How do you figure that number?Does anyone else find the appraised value of the house ($225K) a little high for the homes in that area?
wuchiwuu 8 years, 11 months ago
If you watch news reports, he didn't jump from the third floor...it was a second floor window. And by looking at the pics, you can clearly see the fire escape from the third floor comes around to the side of the front porch where the fire is thought to have originated.
pity2bu 8 years, 11 months ago
lawrbam"your so cool pity"I know lawrbam, you don't need to keep reminding me...
kutx9 8 years, 11 months ago
I was one of the seven girls that lived at 1005 Indiana from 2005-2006 right after it got renovated! It was such a beautiful house and it was an honor to live there! It was one of the nicest houses on the block because Rob did a wonderful job keeping the history of the house but updating it for us all to enjoy. My old roommates and I are so incredibly sad to see the house burn down. 1005 holds so many wonderful memories for us all! It was a place that we looked forward to come back to and visit and hopefully bring our kids back to share our amazing memories! I am sorry to the men that experienced the fire. I can just hope that they are all ok. I hope that Rob returns the house to its original beauty!
funkdog1 8 years, 11 months ago
Lawsuits all around.
allateup 8 years, 11 months ago
Lawrencerox....I just watched the video of the two that escaped...scary very scary!
indythinker 8 years, 11 months ago
Too add to add to firemedic's outstanding essay and to answer everyone else's question about "where was the new ladder truck that's supposed to reach the top of the dorms?", listen to this: The first due engines/quints ARE LAYING HOSE OUT!!! Once a truck is positioned, the hydrants are "made" with 5-inch hose and charged, preconnects are pulled off the truck and in use, and the pump on the truck is in gear, IT ISN"T MOVING. Do you idiots have any idea how long it takes to tear all of this stuff down to get it out of the way and to bring in another apparatus??No??? I didn't think so.
just_me 8 years, 11 months ago
So many like to speculate, without any real facts. I was there most of the day. The fire department did get another ladder truck in there as quickly as possible. We are all just SO thankful that everyone will be ok. One will have some recovery time, but it could have been so much worse. As for the time frame, the guys called 911 as soon as they became aware of the fire. There was no time lapse there. Yes, they were a little dazed and confused. Fortunately, most of us have never experienced anything so terrifying.As for the house itself, it was very nice and they had done a great rehab on it a few years ago, but most importantly, they had installed a very LOUD alarm system and that probably made the difference in the outcome of this fire. It woke not only the boys, but was even heard by some of the neighbors next door. Everyone got out safely. That is the absolutely the most important thing. Thank you to all the police/fire/medical who did an amazing job of handling a very scary situation.
bearded_gnome 8 years, 11 months ago
yes,he did promise to leave! I'm surprised he's only posted once here, but the one he did is a real thoughtful considerate gem! or maybe some 'out of control liquor sales' ?---think about it! spiderman/unCool is blaming the victims of this fire! if they just had not been out of control drunken fools ... this fire wouldn't have happened!!!1. spoilerman seems to think he knows all about this fire;2. he is so ready to immediately blame the fire's victims who have just lost their possessions and are now recovering from injuries;3. his heartless post betrays his actual value system. he and merrill make a habbit of posting in ways showing that they really don't care about human suffering, trouble, and stress! 4. they, spikerman and merrill simply have their own dingey little value system, and to he|| with who it hurts!shame. shame. shame.
kcatchinson 8 years, 11 months ago
I've really got to stop reading the comments after these news articles....I lose my respect for the half of the community every time I do....
nekansan 8 years, 11 months ago
"I know people want to beeotch and moan about their taxes, but LDCF&M should have their trucks on a 12 to 15 year rotation."So this should be a very predictable capital expense that the Chief and other FD administration plan for. Sounds like they did not plan well and instead focused on new stations and a huge new admin building that perhaps could have been downsized to free up budget for other needs. Sounds like the Chief is politicizing the councils decision to hold him to his budget that he planned poorly.
D_Puddy 8 years, 11 months ago
Thanks for the info firemedic! A voice of reason on this message board was needed. Fires happen...and thankfully we have people willing to fight them for us, even if their equipment doesn't cooperate. I lost my apartment last summer to a fire caused by a careless smoker. There are very few things that will make you feel worse than watching your place go up in flames. I hope these guys have renters insurance and are taken care of.
LooPerkinsucks 8 years, 11 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
Bunny_Hotcakes 8 years, 11 months ago
@esl03: "The house is registered to Crimson Properties LLC..." Sounds like a management company to me.What a nightmare. I'm glad they all made it out alive, and I wish the injured a speedy recovery.
Bob Forer 8 years, 11 months ago
Score one for Marion. Lawrenceguy obviously hasn't been around many house fires nor has he availed himself of any firefighting classes our professional fire department have benefited from. Its s absurd to believe a garden variety aluminium house ladder is of any benefit in fightly a rapidly spreading house fire. The heat radiating from the walls dictates that the angle of the ladder be fairly acute as compared with a "painting angle." Sure, our taxes are high. But it sickens me that the city bureaucrats, as well as the commission, second guessed the recommendations or a professional fire chief. Fire fighting is a lot more than hooking up a hose and spraying. Firefighting is a profesion. Furthermore, Lawrence Firemen are either EMTs, paramedics, or in training. Professional carpenters use Mikita and Milwaukee tools, not Craftsman. In a similar vein, professional firemen deserve quality, modern, and dependable equipment. I can't help but wonder whether the seriously injured person would have been rescued (as opposed to jumping) had the ladder been working. Lets remember, it could have been any of our houses of lives at risk. There is no room for skimping when it comes to pubic safety.
igby 8 years, 11 months ago
Why replace a 20 year old fire truck because a vale stuck thats hasn't been used since the Hoch fire in 1991. Lol.We could have another 3 million dollar round-about! Instead.That is, since the fire trucks can't use the round-about anyway!
esl03 8 years, 11 months ago
I said that before they updated the article.
Boeing 8 years, 11 months ago
nomorebobsplease - most people don't take care of their cars. The ones that do - mechanics, people who have a hobby of fixing up their cars, etc. - routinely drive cars 20+ years old. It's like airplanes...tons of airplanes flying around are 20+ years old, and they are fine, because they are maintained properly. I'm not sure how Lawrence keeps up their firetrucks, but I bet they do a good job. Still, stuff happens, we all know that...well, most of us know that...
Sigmund 8 years, 11 months ago
travelinggeek (Anonymous) says:"they are saying that fireworks started a couch on the front porch on fire. Why does the city allow (or is there a code against this that isn't being enforced) upholstered furniture meant for inside on porches?"Both fireworks and couches on front porches are banned in Lawrence. Another set of laws the City Commission passed that everyone including the City ignores. They could have gone for the trifecta if only they had a unlicensed lemonade stand. Pass all the laws you want, stupid is as stupid does.
bearded_gnome 8 years, 11 months ago
okay bea,put down the personal jihad already. I don't make a habit of turning tragedy into a political opportunity as you did today! that's pretty sad bea and shows you are at the bottom of the barrel with spiderman/merrill. my personal attitude, I'm not fond of fireworks. i wouldn't ban them, but I surely wish most people would do without them! and, if the fire started as reported, somebody needs to pay: use of fireworks on the front of a house, that's stupider than using a bbq gril on the balcony! that's outlawed too, because of stupidity. maybe that's what we need: a tax on dumbth.
hail2oldku 8 years, 11 months ago
Somehow the Oread Inn is to blame for this,Sorry, but somebody had to do it.
lawrencerox 8 years, 11 months ago
Just watched the video of two of the residents who lived there and made it out okay...I was struck by their nonchalant attitude about the whole thing. Perhaps they are in a bit of shock? i just couldn't believe when they were asked what caused the fire they replied, "I have no idea..party!?" and then laughed. I know everyone responds differently to tragedy, but I would be devastated if I lost all my stuff.
esl03 8 years, 11 months ago
How is to be known they are renters? They could own the house they are living in. Not all the houses around that area are renters...
OnlyTheOne 8 years, 11 months ago
Damn them Topekans!
firemedic301 8 years, 11 months ago
NFPA 1901 Annex D Guidelines for First Line and Reserve Apparatus states that The 1991 edition of the NFPA fire department apparatus standards included among many other things, requirements for fully enclosed riding areas, stronger aerial ladders, auxiliary braking systems, reflective striping, improved warning lights and no roof mounted audible warning devices. This edition has been recognized as the current "benchmark" from which the new, improved apparatus have evolved. It is recommended that only apparatus that meets the 1991 or later editions of NFPA apparatus standards or that is refurbished in accordance with NFPA 1912, be permitted to operate in first line service to ensure that the latest improvements and upgrades are available for the firefighters.It is recommended that apparatus built to meet the 1979 or 1985 editions of NFPA 1901 (or equivalent ULC Standards) be placed in reserve status and upgraded to incorporate as many features of the post 1991 fire apparatus as possible (see Section D.3 of this Annex). Apparatus not built to NFPA apparatus standards or manufactured prior to 1979 (over 24 years old) should be considered for upgrading or replacement.D.2 Discussion: It is a generally accepted fact that fire apparatus, like all types of mechanical devices, have a finite life. How long that is depends on many factors. Some of those are mileage, quality of the preventative maintenance program, quality of the driver training program and rules enforcement, quality of the original builder and components, availability of parts, and custom or commercial chassis to name a few. In the fire service there are fire apparatus with 8-10 years service that are just plain worn out. There are also fire apparatus that were built with quality components, that had excellent maintenance and that have responded to a minimum number of runs that are still serviceable after 20 years. Most would agree that the quality and timeliness of maintenance are perhaps the most significant factors in determining how well a fire apparatus ages. Also at the end it states Fire department administrators and fire chiefs should exercise special care when evaluating the cost of refurbishing or updating an apparatus verses the cost of a new fire apparatus. A thorough cost/benefit analysis of the "value" of upgrading or refurbishing a fire apparatus should be conducted. In many instances it will be found that refurbishing costs will greatly exceed the current value of similar apparatus.Apparatus not built to NFPA apparatus standards or manufactured prior to 1979 (over 24 years old) should be considered for upgrading or replacement. My volunteer fire department that has a $45,000 a year budget has a truck replacement program in place to purchase new vehicles on a 20 year rotation and we only respond to 200 or so calls a year!! I know people want to beeotch and moan about their taxes, but LDCF&M should have their trucks on a 12 to 15 year rotation.
Godot 8 years, 11 months ago
Why did the man have to jump from the third floor? Wasn't there a fire escape?
nomorebobsplease 8 years, 11 months ago
I am glad everyone escaped, and I hope the injured boys fully recover. I am glad there are services available for them to draw from in recovering from this catastrophe.How many people drive personal vehicles that are 20 years old. And of those that do, how many of those vehicles drive without a hitch? I wouldn't expect even a large service vehicle with excellent maintnenance to remain at peak (like new) operating condition after that amount of time. I know my old truck, while fairly reliable and well maintained, certainly had it's quirks. Ones only I could love.
bad_dog 8 years, 11 months ago
"I can't help but wonder whether the seriously injured person would have been rescued (as opposed to jumping) had the ladder been working."-sychophant"We tried redeploying a number of times and the aerial device simply could not be deployed out of its bed," he said. "It directly impacted our operations here and that was on fire attack. We didn't have to use it for rescue - everybody was out - but it would not have been an option in this case."-Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical Chief Mark Bradford
Zac Hoffhines 8 years, 11 months ago
George_Braziller (Anonymous) says:Fancy new station at 19th and Haskell? That "new" station has been there for at least 24 years and it's also only a training stationI think he meant the fire station at 19th and Iowa St. with all the large frosted glass.
littlegrace 8 years, 11 months ago
geekin_topekan (Anonymous) says: Why spend all that money to upgrade a service that is untilized by less than .01% of the population?geekin_topekan (Anonymous) says: Getting people to the doctor, dialysis,work and school keeps people from dying and off of welfare.Hello?Geekin you are my new hero.
otto 8 years, 11 months ago
New means new not necessarily good. New stuff breaks too. These guys are trained to deal with problems, they dealt with it. I'm not convinced a whole fleet of new trucks would have changed much.
LA_Ex 8 years, 11 months ago
Several years ago I used to live near downtown. I would jog past the fire station almost daily. Every morning I would see them outside putting the ladder up and testing equipment. I would guess that they still do this and the ladder worked that morning, then broke later on. Sometimes things break without any warning signs.
hail2oldku 8 years, 11 months ago
At least Sammy's brother had his house occupied, Doug's magic mystery fire happened in a vacant building undergoing "renovations".
Clickker 8 years, 11 months ago
Smoking was the cause?
Ralph Reed 8 years, 11 months ago
Marion (Marion Lynn) writes: "... already the haters are calling the fire arson while missing the most important part of the article:'Bradford said one of the fire trucks failed on scene when its ladder would not raise. He said that impacted the department's ability to fight the fire. Most of the city's fire fighting equipment is at least 20 years old.'... the haters, "liberals" and goofballs have been opposing the city buying new equipment for the FD."**Marion, I agree with part of what you said in that almost all the posters seem to be ignoring the fact that a ladder truck broke down, hampering the FD ability to fight the fire.Unless you are including all the 'wingnuts' in Lawrence and Douglas County when you say "haters, 'liberals' and goofballs," I don't agree with you. If you are including the entire spectrum, then I do agree with you. For example, Kevin has labeled me a centrist with liberal leanings, yet I would rather the City and County spend money on updated equipment than "important" things like speed cushions on Lawrence Ave. So, please don't paint with such a broad brush.Lucky no one died.If the equipment is not replaced soon, someone will die as the result.**I agree on both points. We don't need another apartment building fire, or worse yet, a dorm fire.***I'm me. Who are you behind your hood of anonymity.
allateup 8 years, 11 months ago
They woke up to a "wall of fire" at 4 or 4:30 and yet the fire dept was not dispatched until 5:12.......something is wrong with those two!!!! Where is the outrage? If the timeline is correct then there is no one to blame for the guy jumping out of the window and getting hurt except for these two.
lawrbam 8 years, 11 months ago
your so cool pity, i have read your bs before. Why dont you send me a message with you phone#, I would love to meet up with you and "discuss" things.
Linda Aikins 8 years, 11 months ago
Maybe I've missed this, but who lit the fireworks? The guys who lived there? Or was it someone in the neighborhood with a bottle rocket or a roman candle?kutx, nice post. I'm sorry your college memories are gone too. I hope you have lots of pictures!
firemedic301 8 years, 11 months ago
Lawrenceguy40, your comment of "Public officials' guide to extracting more money from hard working tax-payer.Lesson One - link your unfunded budget proposal to a perceived risk to public safety. We must protect the people from themselves and use their money to do it!" That's why they call it public safety, and law enforcement, fire and EMS come out of the tax base. Maybe if people didn't smoke in bed (or light fireworks in a couch), drink and drive, stuff their face with cheeseburgers, or try to perform many of the Jackass stunts they see on TV, society wouldn't need so many of us. Also I think almost everyone on here will agree having to jump out of a second ( or third depending on the story) floor window and be transferred to KU Med for the injuries you sustained trying not to die during the fire is a REAL and not a PERCEIVED risk!! One last thing in my first post this morning on truck reponse I forgot to include the ladder truck along with the others. I want to also state that I am not a LDCF&M employee but know many of them.
doc1 8 years, 11 months ago
hail2oldku.Actually if you ask Smitty it would be Ron Olin's fault because two officers shot an indian that charged them with a knife years ago.
Bob Forer 8 years, 11 months ago
nekansan, I have know idea whether your suggestion that the "chief" and his administrators are to blame for poor budgeting. But I am certain of one thing. lets not be too quick to name names. After all, Mark Bradford, the current chief, is fairly new to the job, and the blame, if any, should be directed towards his predecessor, whom, if I recall correctly, served Lawrence honorably for many years
George_Braziller 8 years, 11 months ago
Fancy new station at 19th and Haskell? That "new" station has been there for at least 24 years and it's also only a training station_______hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says: Didn't that fancy new station at 19th and Haskell get new trucks that could go as high as the dorms are high?
Yabut 8 years, 11 months ago
bearded is correct: the FD DOES request new capital equipment like fire trucks via the annual budget, but the city manager decides what to submit the the city commission, who then decides whether to grant the request or defer it."Though some of the department's trucks are more than 20 years old, the particular aerial truck that failed is only 10 years old, Bradford said, and was requested to be replaced in the 2009 budget but that budget item was removed by city staff. The budget has not yet been finalized by city commissioners."
esl03 8 years, 11 months ago
OMG! I hope everyone is okay.
OnlyTheOne 8 years, 11 months ago
"Illegal use of fireworks""Couch on the front porch" - Illegal (inside furniture used outside) Yes there's a city ordinance prohibiting exactly this and this is one of the reasons why. As well as appearance.College students.........I smell a lawsuit here and I hope it bites them students in the (well you know where)........
Ragingbear 8 years, 11 months ago
One of the biggest reasons firetrucks are so expensive is that each one is custom made per order. That's alot of work and requires alot of detail by highly skilled workers. Not saying it isn't justified, just saying that it is expensive.
BigPrune 8 years, 11 months ago
I'm glad nobody got killed, thank goodness.I wonder if the ladder is mysteriously working NOW?
kansas_o_kansas 8 years, 11 months ago
I seldom post ('cause I think you're mostly just a bunch of angry 12 y/o's) but, 20 y/o firetrucks???Fires happen; no matter how careful you are (i.e. no smoking, bbq, freebasing, WHATEVER) you can still end up standing in your front yard, wrapped in your blankie, watching your house burn to the ground. Do you really want to be depending on a 20 y/o fire truck? What if it's the house next door and the flames just keep getting closer and closer to your house? Buy some new fire trucks people!!
lawrbam 8 years, 11 months ago
Yeah not to mention i would love to see lawrenceguy standing at the tip of his ladder as fire blows out of the fully involved building. And where is this new ladder you speak of? Why not go take a look at the front line ladder and see how new it is.
pity2bu 8 years, 11 months ago
Well another fire, another surround and drown, and people throwing themselves out of windows to save themselves. Another ploy to get new equipment by saying that the truck failed to perform. If we play our cards right, we can get the equipment we want at the citizens expense, even though it is said that the city is a "City in Crisis." You know the city manager and the city commission will buy this whole under handed scheme hook, line and sinker because it deals with the word "LIABILITY," the deadliest word in the City Hall dictionary. It was most likely operator error, like most number one causes. Operator+Fire+Exictement+Nervousness+Lack of Training =HUMAN ERROR, not old equipment, not equipment malfunction. You just need to except the facts, I know they can be hard to swallow sometimes. But do you expect anything less from a MEDIC Department... Firemedic301, study your fire apparatus books, you need five things to be a Quint, you named four. Think about what you left out. Let me give you some words and maybe you can put them together tonight in your firefighting / medic dream state .... complement /// of /// ground /// ladders...that is number 5... the Quint Essential!! One fire nozzle, two fire nozzle, three fire nozzle....ZZZZZZZZZZZFIRE 100 Remedial Class is killing me. What are the FIRE MEDIC BOYS being taught today! Parking lot, or swimming pool kids, its not a difficult decision when the infamous LDCFM show up at your house. I have posted parking lot in the front yard of my house.... We can only Thank GOD that you boys threw yourselves out of that house this morning, because no one else would have came in after you. If your asking yourselves why, lets just say that this department doesn't go in and dance with the Devil himself. They just sport the TATTOOS.
chucknoblet 8 years, 11 months ago
balloon-style house? huh? what is that? did the writer mean "balloon frame"?
firemedic301 8 years, 11 months ago
Pity,good job doing your homework. I did leave out the ground ladders on the quint. Thanks for reminding me and keeping me honest
wuchiwuu 8 years, 11 months ago
Fatty McButterpants please note...the house WAS broken up into apartments until Crimson bought it and rehabed it into a beautiful six bedroom house. If you saw the work that they had done to the property and others around town you would be eating crow.
Fatty_McButterpants 8 years, 11 months ago
I've got an idea! How about the city stops allowing structures that were intended to be single-family dwellings to be divided up into apartments. It's unsafe! It's unattractive! It's unnecessary, given the huge number of empty apartment buildings around town.
zissou 8 years, 11 months ago
"from the picture, could be the house was close to being a total loss before the fire. I always liked those old houes with no lattice around the porch..gives the dog a place to get out of the sun"Doubtful, autie. Check www.maps.google.com. Type the address in as 1014 Indiana, as 1005 takes you to the house next door. From the people I've talked to, we've pieced together that the Google cars were in Lawrence sometime around early June 2007. The house at the time looked to be in very good condition. On a related note, the side-by-sides of the pre- and post-fire pictures are a bit eerie. Almost from the same angle.
firemedic301 8 years, 11 months ago
Furthermore, Have we as a society become so shutoff and callous that we want to complain about our taxes going up to pay for a service that could very easily save your life, or your family and friends, let alone a perfect stranger across town?? Come on, people.. Ok now I'm off my soapbox;)
wuchiwuu 8 years, 11 months ago
The house was gutted and completely remodeled within the last five years...you want to call it a fire to benefit the owner - whatever. Be careful who you put in the same category with Doug!
firemedic301 8 years, 11 months ago
Just to clear up some of the confusion and ignorant comments on this article, here's how it works: A quint is a truck that has a pump, water in a tank, fire hose, and a ladder on top. An Engine has the same thing minus the ladder on top. A ladder truck has a ladder on top but no pump, or tank with water. Standard response for LDCF&M is two engines or quints, an ambulance, and a Chief. That area probably would have been covered by station 1 downtown and station 5 at 19th and Iowa. Station 1's quint is down for repairs ( because I saw them yesterday in an engine) and I believe station 5 has an engine and ladder. By looking at the picture the truck in the picture is quint 3 located at 6th and kasold. I am guessing that the ladder truck was the one that failed. When you have a ladder truck fail on scene you have serious problems (as the article states subject had to jump out the window. Basic construction knowledge tells me that a two story house has bedrooms upstairs) This can affect the recue of trapped victims and extinguishment of the fire. As to Autie's comment "firetrucks ain't cheap. Even twenty year old equipment should be regularly tested for function and with proper maintenance last much longer the twenty years..But only in the perfect world do things never breakdown." They are right on. How many times have you gone outside and found your mode of transportation with a dead battery or a flat tire, ot the stereo doesn't work? LDCF&M and probably every other paid department in the world has a daily check procedure that they perform on the trucks, but sometimes stuff happens!! It also seems to happen more on older vehicles. Marion hit the nail on the head when he brought up the standards on replacing fire trucks.
geekin_topekan 8 years, 11 months ago
Why spend all that money to upgrade a service that is untilized by less than .01% of the population?
Paula Kissinger 8 years, 11 months ago
The city geniuses put up dozens of worthless roundabouts (which fire trucks cannot clear) and is now adding calming devices to that list along with flowers planted downtown so the area is attractive (that's really helped increase business) but allows our city to have old emergency equipment that fails when necessary because it may be too expensive for the budget. Too bad this fire didn't happen at my house...my insurance company and I would now be running the city. Substandard emergency equipment, the possibility of the T becoming defunct, refusing to support school programs, spending taxpayers money on appearance items instead of necessities....people....remember this at every upcoming city commission election and choose wisely. The majority of you completely blew it last time.
gccs14r 8 years, 11 months ago
The FD has had to put up with political BS before.http://www.lawrencefiremed.org/Images/LFD%20History%201859-1975%20(PL).pdf
geekin_topekan 8 years, 11 months ago
"Less than .01% of the population??? How do you figure that number?"+++I am just pulling that number from anti-T arguments that are heard on this board.The T serves 1000 residents per day and some on this board call that "less than .1% of the population".So,I figure that maybe 100 residents utilize the FD daily which is 10% of 1000.Hence,.01%. I admit, openly, that my decimal point may be wrong.Move it the right one position.
LTownBaby 8 years, 11 months ago
I truly hope that the one kid that was taken to KU Med has no serious injuries. Yea, the fire department might need some new equipment, but should that really be what the story is all about. Some students could have died and the first thing the fire-cheif does is make a plug for his budget and new equipment! The ladder not working at all should have been caught by routine inspections and shouldn't have been sent to the scene.
tangential_reasoners_anonymous 8 years, 11 months ago
beatrice: "I wonder how many liberals Marion and bearded are going to praise for liberals' predictions that the illegal use of fireworks in Lawrence would burn down buildings and put people's lives in danger?"If they were using fireworks, maybe they were Independents.
geekin_topekan 8 years, 11 months ago
Getting people to the doctor, dialysis,work and school keeps people from dying and off of welfare.Hello?
beatrice 8 years, 11 months ago
I wonder how many liberals Marion and bearded are going to praise for liberals' predictions that the illegal use of fireworks in Lawrence would burn down buildings and put people's lives in danger?
Steve Jacob 8 years, 11 months ago
consumer1--I am always wondering about that when an empty house burns, but would anyone do this with four people inside?
jonas 8 years, 11 months ago
"maybe that's what we need: a tax on dumbth."It would be a pretty bottomless taxing well.
cds 8 years, 11 months ago
Bummer, hope the guy in the hospital is ok. They always spent the big bucks on fireworks and put on a good show at least once a week.
bearded_gnome 8 years, 11 months ago
uh, spiderman, per your e-mail to me:your post didn't really resemble an apology.***#301, thank you and thanks for your work with ldcfm. my [admittedly vague] recollection is that in the past couple years the ldcfm has put in for firetruck replacement, and the commission has "let 'em ride," instead of making the necessary allocations, and pursuit of state/fed funds. now, this current budget process comes and things are really tight indeed.
Beth Ennis 8 years, 11 months ago
I gave up reading every one of these, but I didn't see what I think is one of the most obvious things...they are saying that fireworks started a couch on the front porch on fire. Why does the city allow (or is there a code against this that isn't being enforced) upholstered furniture meant for inside on porches? It is not only unsightly, but unsanitary as it attracts rodents and other critters. I live in the student slum area and I get so tired of seeing old living room furniture and mattresses on porches all through our neighborhood. Had there not been furniture such as this on the porch, the fire might not have started. As to the injured student who had to jump out the window, I hope your injuries are not too serious--I can't even imagine having to make that choice. I'm also glad that we have a fireman or paramedic who chimed in here. Thank you for setting folks straight. God Bless you and all of your co-workers for doing a job that most folks wouldn't even consider doing.
domino 8 years, 11 months ago
firemedic301 - thanks - I don't have to get my soapbox out now!! Great information/post!
fascinating_person 8 years, 11 months ago
Yes, a lot of work had been done on that house over the past few years. It was probably the nicest house on the block, and the best kept.When I woke up to the sounds of the first sirens, it was a little after 5am, and the house was already engulfed in flames.
packs_of_wild_dogzz 8 years, 11 months ago
Amazing how many fire service porfessionals we have on the forum today. Fact is most of you couldn't carry a public servant's jock let alone pretend to know how to do his/her job.
HighScore 8 years, 11 months ago
That's no good. I am glad to hear that everyone seems to be alive and okay.But to make matters worse, it's July 31st. What's a lanlord to do?"Hey were did all this smoke damage come from? I am going to have to take that off your security deposit."
Trobs 8 years, 11 months ago
So if all the guys were inside sleeping, how'd the couch get on fire from fireworks?
coolmarv 8 years, 11 months ago
I guess the city was right. Couches on porches bad and fireworks bad.
zissou 8 years, 11 months ago
These guys seem way too relaxed for students who have just lost everything. "We have no idea" is their guess for how it started? I bet.
fu7il3 8 years, 11 months ago
Hey, remember around the 4th when posters were saying "when have fireworks ever burnt down a house?"There you go.
Alison Roberts 8 years, 11 months ago
Im confused... who was using the fireworks? if the residents were all inside, who was setting off the fireworks? First of all... this is why couches shouldnt be on porches... they look a little white trash anyway. But yeah, those guys seem a bit too laissez-faire about the whole thing. They just lost EVERYTHING... must be nice to have your parents foot the bill for you. I'd be screwed if that happened to me.
Confrontation 8 years, 11 months ago
I can't believe that any damage could be done by using fireworks. According to most idiots in this town, fireworks are completely harmless and user-friendly (since everyone is an expert in Lawrence).
ontheotherhand 8 years, 11 months ago
People kept asking me why I sold my house instead of renting it. I told them I did not have the stomach, the patience, or the extra money for irresponsible tenants. They thought I was overreacting. I have been forwarding this story to them all morning . . .
Trobs 8 years, 11 months ago
If i lost all my "things" I'd call my insurance company and wait for the check. Renter's insurance = win. I'd rather be alive with nothing then have all my stuff and be dead.
Confrontation 8 years, 11 months ago
It's funny how people expect these guys to be bawling and screaming into the camera. They're alive. Maybe they're looking at the bright side of things. Why does everyone have to be completely hysterical in order to be upset?
PapaB 8 years, 11 months ago
I'm opposed to a sales tax increase for the sole reason that it will never go away. Once they raise it above 7.3, it will never go back down to 7.3. Also, in the rest of the world, everyone has to stay within a budget. All the city or county organizations never strive to come in under budget, but right at budget, so they don't get any of it taken away the next year. When you're shooting to come in at budget, it's asking for trouble when something unexpected or unplanned happens and then we get asked to raise sales tax to make up for going over budget. Raising the sales tax would just enable this continued behavior, when the problem could have been resolved with proper systematic planning. Maintenance and replacement of firetrucks should have already been built into their budget.
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