Saturday morning March 21st, 2009 two boys were critically injured in a house fire in the small town of Winton, North Carolina (NC). The boy’s mother and sister escaped without harm, however, the Winton firefighters had to use their air packs to rescue each boy from the burning house. According to Hertford county emergency management coordinator, Charles Jones, the report the house was located on the 500 block of N. Main St. in Winton, North Carolina (NC).
The firemen were noted as having done a marvelous job, going beyond the limits, with none of the crew being injured while rescuing the two boys left inside, according to Jones. The investigation was turned over to the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office, which found the fire was accidental and was caused by an electrical space heater in the living room, Sheriff Juan Vaughan Sr. said.
The house fire was reported about 7:50 a.m. Saturday morning. Mary Harrell and her daughter, 7yrs, escaped, but the fire was too heavy for Harrell to go back into the burning building to rescue her two sons. “She tried to make an attempt but it was to no avail,” Jones said. “The fire was too intense.” A fire crew rescued one boy, then a second crew went in and found the other boy. They were in a back room. One son, about 10, suffered burns and smoke inhalation, he said. The other son, who appeared to be 8 or 9, was burned on about 50 percent of his body, Jones said. Paramedics took the boys to a local hospital; they later were transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and listed in critical condition.
According to authorities, the fire was out around noon. The family lived on the lower level of the two-story house, which was rented as an apartment. The house was destroyed was completely destroyed. Firefighters from Ahoskie and Murfreesboro assisted Winton. About 35 firefighters were at the scene. A stress debriefing team is coming Monday to assist firefighters, who are having a tough time in the aftermath, Jones said. The American Red Cross was called to assist the family.
An update on the injury of the boys, 11 and 7, were flown out late Saturday night from Sentara Norfolk General Hospital to Shriners Hospital in Cincinnati, said Hertford County emergency management coordinator Charles Jones. Shriners Hospital specializes in treating child burn victims.
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