Local

Flint man dies in fire, second person injured

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Arson investigators search for clues in Flint... ::

Budget cuts blamed in deadly Flint fire ::

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FLINT (WJRT) -- (04/28/09)--One man has died in a Flint house fire and three firefighters received second-degree burns as they battled the flames.

The fire broke out around 11:30 p.m. Monday in the 1400 Block of Bennett Avenue between Lewis and Olive.

It was a scene flint firefighters were calling chaotic.

Monday night's deadly house fire stirred the emotions of the northeast-side neighborhood.

"I hear the lady and man inside screaming. The window busted out, she got on the roof, and I still heard him inside screaming," neighbor Eric Washburn said.

Flint Fire Station No. 5 -- located eight blocks away -- was equipped with a truck that doesn't carry water or hoses. A truck with water had to travel more than a mile to the scene.

"It was chaotic. It's not how we do things," Battalion Chief Teresa Root said.

The woman inside of the house escaped with second-degree burns, but the man didn't make it out alive.

Washburn believes a fully operating Fire Station No. 5 could have a made a difference.

"Three to four minutes. There's a definite possibility they could have got there and saved his life," he said.

When a fire station is unmanned, it means it's open, but firefighters are not on duty there around the clock.

It's the result of the city laying off 22 firefighters Sunday.

"The first thing I'm thinking is, 'Not again.' In the last month, we've lost three houses over here," resident Mike Thomas said.

Three firefighters ended up with second-degree burns. One of them was Lt. Mark Kovach, who is also the union vice president.

"I know my gear had already caught fire, and they had to kind of put me out as I came out the door," he said.

We're told that circumstances are still being investigated.

Arson investigators were on the scene.

If there's any good news to report out of this, all three injured firefighters were treated for their burns and released from the hospital.