Smoke Inhalation

CARTERSVILLE - The two men whose bodies were found in a burned-out trailer early Sunday died of smoke inhalation, the Garrard County coroner said this morning. Daryl Hodge said toxicology reports on the men, whom Kentucky State Police identified as Arnold E. Harold, 51, of 966 Copper Creek Road, and his brother, Bobby D. Harold, 46, of 1025 Copper Creek Road, will be complete in several weeks. The brothers' bodies were discovered in Arnold Harold's mobile home by Cartersville firefighters after dousing the blaze that gutted the home.

Fire officials are working to determine what caused a house fire that sent a woman to the hospital with smoke inhalation Tuesday evening. Firefighters were called to a duplex at 1325 Dale Drive at 6:17 p.m. Tuesday, with initial reports of a woman trapped inside the burning building. When firefighters arrived, neighbors had already freed the woman inside after breaking a rear glass door, Winchester Fire-EMS Chief Danny Castle said. She was outside when the first units arrived and was later transported to Clark Regional Medical Center for treatment for smoke inhalation.

STANFORD - Stanford and Lincoln County fire departments responded to a house fire Saturday night at 204 Danville Ave. Jerry Holcomb was home at the time but escaped without serious injury. Trucks arrived at the residence about 9:30 p.m. Stanford Fire Chief Kenny McDaniel said the blaze was contained to one bedroom in the attic. Flames were extinguished within 10 minutes, while the rest of the house had moderate smoke damage. Holcomb was treated for smoke inhalation and released.

LANCASTER - An early morning fire broke out in a duplex at 98 Cardinal Circle, just off Danville Street. The renter was treated for smoke inhalation on the scene, but no major injuries resulted. Lancaster Fire Chief Richard Sebastian said his crew was called out about 4:30 a.m. and had the fire under control in about 15 minutes. After investigating for close to two hours, Sebastian said it was determined that the resident, who's name was unavailable, left a burner on. "She left a pan on the stove, and the fire spread, doing extensive damage, burning all the kitchen cabinets up and doing moderate damage to the rest of the kitchen," Sebastian said.

An electrical short is to blame for a two-alarm fire that broke out Tuesday evening on First Street, the Winchester Fire Department said this morning. The blaze heavily damaged the attic of a rental property at 24 First St., and the rest of the residence sustained water and smoke damage. Wiring in the kitchen shorted, and the fire spread from the kitchen ceiling to the attic. Firefighters worked from 4:30 p.m. until almost 6 p.m. to contain the fire. Everyone got out of the home safely, but one resident was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

HARRODSBURG - An apartment fire that killed a disabled woman Sept. 11 has been ruled accidental by the state fire marshal's office. Harrodsburg Fire Chief Marshall Hockersmith said the fire apparently began when one of two occupants of the apartment smoked on a couch in the apartment at 830 North College St. at Berkshire Apartment complex. "We've ruled out arson, and we strongly suspect smoking on the couch is what started it," said Hockersmith. Harrodsburg fire units were dispatched to the fire at 10:41 p.m. where they found Wanda Coleman, 48, inside.

A body found Wednesday in the rubble of a house fire has been identified by the state medical examiner's office. At 3:30 p.m. Friday, Danville Police Chief Tony Gray said it has been confirmed the body is that of Margaret O. "Libby" Moore, 37, of Danville. The cause of death was determined as smoke inhalation. Moore resided in the home that burned beyond repair Tuesday night at 301 Venetian Way. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, said Danville Fire Chief Woody Ball.

FIRE AT FORMER ROCKWELL PLANT Plastic and lumber caught fire at the old Rockwell plant at about 12:40 p.m. Sunday. One firefighter suffered smoke inhalation. By Katheran Wasson and James Mann FIREFIGHTERS COMPLETE SKILLS TESTING Fifty firefighters from northern and central Kentucky came to the Winchester Fire Department's training grounds at Station Three to complete skills tests toward a certification. By Fred Petke AMERICAN HEART WALK About 100 people turned out Saturday for the American Heart Association's annual Heart Walk fundraiser at the Winchester Traveling Trail.

MCKINNEY - A 46-year-old woman died of apparent smoke inhalation after her trailer caught fire on McKinney-Geneva Road early this morning. Lincoln County Coroner Bill Demrow said Bonnie Peek was pronounced dead at 5 a.m. after her husband tried desperately to reach her inside their home. It is suspected she may have fallen asleep while smoking, the coroner said. Demrow said Richard "Buddy" Peek, a long-haul trucker, was coming home from a trip shortly before 5 a.m. and saw the smoke coming from their trailer.

A body found Wednesday in the rubble of a house fire has been identified by the state medical examiner's office. At 3:30 p.m. Friday, Danville Police Chief Tony Gray said it has been confirmed the body is that of Margaret O. "Libby" Moore, 37, of Danville. The cause of death was determined as smoke inhalation. Moore resided in the home that burned beyond repair Tuesday night at 301 Venetian Way. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, said Danville Fire Chief Woody Ball.

Local firefighters and emergency medical personnel had a busy day with two back-to-back structure fires at a Danville townhouse complex Sunday. Firefighters said the fires at Charleston Greene on Walnut Street are believed to be related but have two different points of origin. Danville Fire Department first responded to unit 18A owned by Jenny Jackson about 6 a.m. where crews searched for anyone possibly still inside. Heavy smoke hindered firefighters, but they learned no one was inside.

A Winchester woman was taken to the hospital following a kitchen fire Monday afternoon. Deborah Henry, 58, of 102 Fitch Ave., was treated for smoke inhalation by Winchester Fire-EMS personnel and transported to Clark Regional Medical Center after fire broke out in the kitchen of the home around 3 p.m. Another resident, Chad Abner, also was in the residence at the time of the fire and was removed by Winchester Police, who assisted firefighters at...

First responders need our prayers Dear Editor, On Saturday, Jan. 7, I attended the 2012 Community Prayer Service at Christview Christian Church. A Clark County firefighter was supposed to reflect on the service of our first responders and then pray specifically for that category. At the last minute, the firefighter was unable to attend. I was asked by Mayor Burtner to reflect on and then pray for our firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, police officers and the sheriff's department.

Smoking may be to blame for a blaze that burned three apartments and damaged five others at Hillcrest Apartments in Winchester Wednesday morning. Winchester Fire-EMS Maj. Greg Beam said Wednesday afternoon the official cause of the fire is undetermined, but they suspect that discarded smoking materials started the fire in Building G at the complex on Oxford Drive. Beam said the fire started in Apt. 76, which is on the first floor. The fire then spread, damaging the other three neighboring apartments and the central breezeway.

HARRODSBURG — A planned lasagna dinner turned into a fire at a Harrodsburg home Thursday evening, leaving one of its occupants hospitalized because of smoke inhalation. Capt. Terry Smith of the Harrodsburg Fire Department said firefighters were dispatched to a home at 619 Perryville Road at 5:38 p.m. and arrived to find the kitchen in flames. They were able to save the structure, but the kitchen was heavily damaged by flames, and other parts of the home sustained smoke and water damage, Smith said.

A Danville woman is in critical condition after escaping and then attempting to re-enter her burning home early this morning. Interim Fire Chief Woody Ball said fire crews and police responded to 831 Crosshill Road at 1:40 a.m. Initial reports were that some children were trapped inside the residence. When firefighters arrived, three boys ages 13, 11 and 9 were outside the house, but the children’s grandmother was found in a rear doorway. Ball said the names of the woman and the children were not being released at press time because some of the family members had not been notified.

HARRODSBURG — Authorities are still working to determine what caused a house fire that killed an elderly Mercer County woman early Monday. Harrodsburg Fire Chief Chris Dean said what sparked the fire at 209 West Lane that claimed the life of Mary Rose Harley, 71, is still being investigated. Dean said there is no reason to believe the fire is suspicious, but because there was a fatality, a state police arson investigator has been called in. KSP Detective Pat Alford referred all questions about the investigation to the local department.

Danville resident Giovanna Pedicini knows her two dogs are like children to her. So when she heard about a program the promotes pet oxygen masks for fire departments, she decided to team up with the Danville-Boyle County Humane Society to ensure that the Danville Fire Department was equipped with them. Animals, like humans, often suffer from smoke inhalation during fires and human oxygen masks don’t always fit correctly on animals. Pedicini and the DBCHS presented the Danville Fire Department a set of pet oxygen masks on Monday.

LANCASTER ? A Garrard County home was all but destroyed in a fire Saturday afternoon, but a woman who was asleep inside when the blaze began is alive and recovering, thanks in part to a passing stranger who pulled her away from the burning building. Nicholasville resident Luis Mercado was on a fishing trip in the Camp Dick area Saturday afternoon when he heard a woman screaming and saw smoke coming from a nearby house. Mercado, a painter who speaks minimal English, said he was in the right place at the right time and was able to do the right thing.