Fatal New Ulm, MN Fire Caused By Candles, Authorities Say
A New Ulm, Minnesota fire that claimed six lives was caused by candles left burning unattended, according to the Minnesota State Fire Marshall. The fire consumed the Bohemian Bed & Breakfast and killed six people inside, including the owner. Four others who had been staying at the bed & breakfast were able to escape.
It was discovered after the fire that the bed & breakfast had not been inspected in a year, and that management told authorities that the house would not be used to rent out as lodging for visitors.
Authorities say unattended candles are a common and preventable cause of house fires and that candle fires peak around the holiday season. “About 10 percent of times we see a structure fire candles or open flames are a common cause of that fire,” Deputy Chief Vance Swisher, of the Rochester Fire Department told local news sources. Candles being left burning too close to draperies, or candles being knocked over by pets are two scenarios he cited.
The leading cause of structure fires in 2010 was cooking fires, but open flame or candle fires came in second, causing 10 percent of structure fires that year. Authorities advise people not to leave candles burning unattended and to never place a candle near any combustible material, or in a location where a pet could knock it over.
House Fire Wrongful Death Lawsuit Information
If a fire investigation reveals that someone can be held legally responsible for a house fire, then the family of a person killed in that house fire may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages (money) for things like, funeral expenses, loss of comfort and companionship, and loss of income that the decedent would have provided.
The fire attorneys at Pritzker Olsen have recovered millions on behalf of people killed or injured in fires and explosions. Attorney David Szerlag is a former firefighter with years of experience investigating fires and litigating fire injury and death lawsuits.
Contact Pritzker Olsen for a free fire lawsuit consultation >>>
News Source: http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S2213813.shtml?cat=10217
Six Killed in New Ulm, MN Fire
Six are dead, including a mother and her two daughers, after a house fire in New Ulm, MN, the morning of Saturday, July 3. Four others escaped from the blaze, which engulfed the Victorian mansion that was operating as the Bohemian Bed and Breakfast. The mother of the two daughters who was killed, was also the owner of the bed and breakfast, and was well-known in the community. Firefighters were able to control the flames after about five hours, but the cause remains unknown.
Minnesota Fire Lawsuit and Wrongful Death Information
The fire and burn lawyers at Pritzker Olsen represent victims who have been injured in house fires and the families of those who have died in house fires. Attorney David Szerlag is a former firefighter, and has years of experience investigating fires.
The goal of the house fire investigation is to find the cause and origin of the fire. The first thing we do is examine the fire scene with the experts that we hire:
- Where is the area of the most severe fire damage?
- Where is the lowest level of fire damage?
- How did the fire ventilate?
- What materials burned and what was the pattern of damage?
- What was the arc damage?
We also interview eyewitnesses to find out where they first saw the fire, analyze the accelerants in the fire debris, look at all appliances to determine if one of them could have been the cause and analyze the pattern of fire damage. Each fire is unique and should be treated as such.
Fire Lawsuit Victim Compensation
Vicims injured in house fires may be entitled to money that will cover their medical costs, and money for pain and suffering. The families of victims killed in fires may also be entitled to compensation for the loss of their loved one.
St. Paul Park Man Killed in House Fire
A St. Paul Park man was killed in a house fire that began early in the morning. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Crews battled heavy smoke and fire conditions as they entered the residence around 1:40 a.m. Friday. They found the man lying unresponsive and were able to get him out of the burning house through a first-story window. Medics administered care on the scene before he was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.
The man died at the hospital.
While the cause of the fire is still unknown, it is unclear whether or not the house had a working fire detector.
In a case such as this one, it will be necessary to determine the cause of the fire. A thorough investigation, dictated by protocol in NFDA 92, a guide to investigating fire scenes, will provide valuable information on the cause and spread of the fire.
When our law firm takes a fire-related wrongful death case, we conduct our own investigation of the fire, hire highly-trained and respected experts, use the latest technology to present persuasive evidence to the jury and continue to dig until we know we have the full story.
We also advocate for fire prevention legislation. One of our Minnesota fire death cases involved a mother of two who died in a fire caused by highly flammable furniture. We advocated for more regulations on the furniture industry and continue to monitor the developments in this area.
We have successfully obtained millions for victims of fires and their families. To contact our law firm, please call 612-338-0202, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or submit our free case consultation form.
