Home tour: Public can see how 'small fire' turned deadly
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By Ann McGlynn | Thursday, September 04, 2008 |
Davenport Fire Department Capt. Dave Miller on Thursday talks about the fire that hit the Georgia Clayton home at 1107 E. Central Park Ave., Davenport, last week. He is shown in the home’s living room. On Saturday, with the permission of Clayton’s family, the Davenport Fire Department will offer tours of her home. Buy this Photo
In life, Georgia Clayton taught children as a media specialist at Wood Intermediate School in Davenport.
With her death, fire officials are hopeful a most important lesson will be learned.
On Saturday, with the permission of Clayton’s family, the Davenport Fire Department will offer tours of her home — the place where she and her companion, Frank Lawrick, died last week after a small fire.
A power strip authorities think was covered by something — a blanket, maybe some clothes — sparked the fire. A smoke detector that worked, but was incorrectly placed on the floor, failed to alert Clayton and Lawrick in time.
“If we can even hit just one person, convince them to go home and make some changes,” the tours will be worthwhile, said Mike Hayman, fire marshal.
The opportunity, he said, is “very rare.”
For a tour such as this, the structure must be safe for people to be inside of, Hayman said. The family and insurance company must be willing to allow it, too.
From the outside, the house at 1107 E. Central Park Ave. does not appear to be damaged. However, the smell of fire greets visitors from the sidewalk.
Inside, it is black from the heat and smoke.
The damage from that heat and smoke in one corner of the living room shows exactly how they act: an end table on the floor was virtually untouched. The lamp on that table was heavily damaged. The curtains hanging from a rod just below the ceiling were destroyed.
That’s why the smoke detector, positioned on the dining room floor just steps away from the living room, did not work, officials said. Smoke and heat rise.
The actual fire damage was minor — confined to one section of the couch in the living room next to where the power strip is. It took little time to put out. An “average” fire, Hayman called it. “A very small fire,” Capt. Dave Miller said.
But the smoke overtook Clayton and Lawrick and killed them.
Clayton had just retired from her job at Wood Intermediate School. Lawrick was a WWII veteran and Alcoa retiree. Their funeral was Tuesday.
If you go
From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, the home of Georgia Clayton, 1107 E. Central Park Ave., Davenport, will be open to the public. Davenport Fire Department personnel will be on hand to answer questions about the fire that claimed Clayton’s life and the life of her companion. They hope the tours will serve as a lesson on fire prevention and safety.
Ann McGlynn can be contacted at (563) 383-2336 or amcglynn@qctimes.com.
Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
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