# Trailer Fire Claims Three Young Lives...



## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

No matter how fast they seem to be growing up, you gotta keep on eye on the little ones.
Yet another tragic story out of Oregon (We sure have had our share of them lately).








Breaks my heart!









Deadly Sleepover

Doug


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

How sad for the families.

I m sorry but a 12, a 11 and a 8 year old in a trailer at night with no adult. In this instance its possible if there was a adult, they also might have perished but it turned out to be a tragic mistake. Too young to be unsupervised all night and too young to be outside of the house unsupervised all night.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

PDX_Doug said:


> No matter how fast they seem to be growing up, you gotta keep on eye on the little ones.
> Yet another tragic story out of Oregon (We sure have had our share of them lately).
> 
> 
> ...


Wow. So sad.

But I don't get it.  Not that any of this would have otherwise reversed the trajedy, but....there was enough smoke for Dad to smell it inside the house...yet he didn't smell it once he got outside, didn't see smoke and/or flames thru the camper windows, didn't get a face of flame when he opened the door ... AND took the time to knock?

Judi


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## Scrib (Jun 28, 2005)

Wow, that is terrible. I'm changing the battery in the smoke detector when I get home.


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

So sad a story. I feel for the families involved. Life is so precious..... my eyes are wet reading this..

Map Guy


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

tdvffjohn said:


> How sad for the families.
> 
> I m sorry but a 12, a 11 and a 8 year old in a trailer at night with no adult. In this instance its possible if there was a adult, they also might have perished but it turned out to be a tragic mistake. Too young to be unsupervised all night and too young to be outside of the house unsupervised all night.


how many of us had backyard campouts in tents unsupervised?boys like to rough it in their imaginery world, girls like to play house per say. I would much rather them be in the trailer. This is very very unfortunate accident I am sure. My gut tells me the parents may not have known there was a candle. If they knew, AND allowed it, shame on them. Whatever the cause, the reason, the circumanstance, there are some very devastated families.....


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

The fire was probably small to some degree. The trailer was probably sealed pretty good so when the fire burned the oxygen up, it probably went almost out leaving only a smell.

I stand by my thinking. A 12, 11, and a 8 year old should not be spending the night in a TT without an adult. The fact that they lit a candle and did not understand the danger unfortunately shows that. I am not judging what he did, he will live with the loss of his children for the rest of his life. I feel more sorry for the parents who let there child go on the sleepover and lost her.


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

Although it probably wouldn't have helped in this case, this is a good reminder to hold a fire drill in your trailer.

We have a fire drill before the first trip out every year, and sometimes again in mid-summer. The kids have a blast bailing out of the trailer through the exit windows. They get to learn where the exits are, how to operate the latches and how to remove the screens. We practice a few times so they get to go out the queen bed exit as well as the bunkhouse exit (but not the door ... they _know _ how to do that!).

We also review the different alarms in the trailer so they know what to do when each sounds. We use the alarm test button to start each fire drill.

Ed


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Very smart Ed!
We have shown our kids how the windows work, but an actual fire drill would not be a bad idea!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

LarryTheOutback said:


> Although it probably wouldn't have helped in this case, this is a good reminder to hold a fire drill in your trailer.
> 
> We have a fire drill before the first trip out every year, and sometimes again in mid-summer. The kids have a blast bailing out of the trailer through the exit windows. They get to learn where the exits are, how to operate the latches and how to remove the screens. We practice a few times so they get to go out the queen bed exit as well as the bunkhouse exit (but not the door ... they _know _ how to do that!).
> 
> ...


Thanks, Ed. Great idea - whether there are kids in the picture or not. As adults, we often believe that we will be able to handle any situation that comes up. Well, one way or another that may be true...but wouldn't we all rather be safe than sorry? Sounds like a good time to check those batteries and the charge on the fire extinguishers, too!!

_Side Note_: I am again impressed with how Outbackers can turn such tragic news into an opportunity to learn and improve the camping experience!


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

PDX_Doug said:


> We have shown our kids how the windows work, but an actual fire drill would not be a bad idea!


I forgot to mention that with the little ones you'll need an adult on the other side to "catch" them and guide them out the window so they don't scrape any skin on the way out. You'll also want to make sure they don't damage the window hinge in their excitement.

Ed


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

How awful.







I pray for the families involved.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

tdvffjohn said:


> The fire was probably small to some degree. The trailer was probably sealed pretty good so when the fire burned the oxygen up, it probably went almost out leaving only a smell.
> 
> I stand by my thinking. A 12, 11, and a 8 year old should not be spending the night in a TT without an adult. The fact that they lit a candle and did not understand the danger unfortunately shows that. I am not judging what he did, he will live with the loss of his children for the rest of his life. I feel more sorry for the parents who let there child go on the sleepover and lost her.


I'll have to agree with John on the progress of the fire, it was most likely small, and burned itself out as the oxygen was used up. The real question is not necessarily what were the girls doing in the camper alone, but what they were doing with a candle. Many fires that I respond too at work have their origins in a candle. Whether left unattended, or used inappropriately. *A child should never be left alone with a candle*. I agree, a working smoke detector (the article didn't specify whether there was one or not) may have changed the outcome of this tragic night, but no access to candles would definitely have changed it.

Just for the record, when camping with my family growing up, my parents and baby siblings slept in the camper. Myself, and the two older of my sisters, both younger then I was slept in tents. I was 9 or 10 when we started doing that.


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

hatcityhosehauler said:


> The fire was probably small to some degree. The trailer was probably sealed pretty good so when the fire burned the oxygen up, it probably went almost out leaving only a smell.
> 
> I stand by my thinking. A 12, 11, and a 8 year old should not be spending the night in a TT without an adult. The fact that they lit a candle and did not understand the danger unfortunately shows that. I am not judging what he did, he will live with the loss of his children for the rest of his life. I feel more sorry for the parents who let there child go on the sleepover and lost her.


I'll have to agree with John on the progress of the fire, it was most likely small, and burned itself out as the oxygen was used up. The real question is not necessarily what were the girls doing in the camper alone, but what they were doing with a candle. Many fires that I respond too at work have their origins in a candle. Whether left unattended, or used inappropriately. *A child should never be left alone with a candle*. I agree, a working smoke detector (the article didn't specify whether there was one or not) may have changed the outcome of this tragic night, but no access to candles would definitely have changed it.

Just for the record, when camping with my family growing up, my parents and baby siblings slept in the camper. Myself, and the two older of my sisters, both younger then I was slept in tents. I was 9 or 10 when we started doing that.
[/quote]

Constantly go round and round with the better half concerning unattended candles. They are mucho dangerous ...then add kids - not!

Map Guy


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Kids that age are left to themselves at home all the time. It doesn't matter what time of the day or night it is, the dangers there are just as real, candles, matches can be found there as well. I think that this was a very sad unfortunate accident that never should have happened, but it did and I don't think you can really blame anyone.

Kids are kids, you just hope that they will be able to make the right decision when given a dangerous or potentially deadly situation.


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

My kids have wanted to have sleepovers in the trailer and as much as I would like to let them I still say no. Too many things can go wrong with leaving them out there alone. With the amount of noise they make all night I should spend the night in the trailer.

John


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

I know I wouldn't let my grandkids spend the night alone in a trailer, even if it was in the back yard or in the driveway. I'd be too afraid of something terrible happening like it did in this story.

I feel sorry for the families who are probably now realizing they shouldn't have done so, either.

Mark


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

I think the firefighters will agree that many to most fatal house fires have their origins in candles. Too many times I saw my mother light dozens, especially at holiday time, and let them burn down to nubs. Scared the whee out of me. Only candles in our house are in a completely closed candle lantern, and that is for boondocking only, and no kids.

Sluggo


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

Sluggo54 said:


> Too many times I saw my mother light dozens (of candles) and let them burn down to nubs.


LED candles are the answer; they have a great flickering effect that does a good job of simulating flame especially when they are in a glass container. I've got Ellen converted over to them ... now they are on all the time with no safety issues.

Ed


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## Chacfamily (May 15, 2006)

The girls are on Spring Break now and DH was not able to take any time off work to go camping, which we always do on SB. They begged him to bring the TT home and get it ready for Summer and they could have a sleepover in it. There were a couple of tears when we told them no way, never, not going to happen! I said I would be glad to sleep in it with them, but that's not what they were wanting!

I talked to them about this trailer fire last night and I think they understand. DH trains firemen and police officers on natural gas and propane fires/emerency responding, etc, so they are pretty aware of fire safety. I also told them about the idea of having a practice fire drill in the TT and they were all for it...We will do that our first time out this year.


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## mike (Dec 17, 2006)

I second the fact that I have seen many careless fires due to candles, I have been a carrer firefighter for thirteen years and it is one of the biggest causes of fires. I also have many, many, discussions with my dw who happens to love candles.


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