March 11, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (SH2004-05) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION R. Steve Huffman Public Information Officer (251) 208-5806/Fax: (251) 208-5813 E-Mail: huffman@cityofmobile.org FIRE INVESTIGATORS DETERMINE CAUSE OF MORNING HOUSE FIRE Investigators with the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department have concluded their investigation into the cause of a house fire located at 1214 Mobile Street, Thursday morning, March 11, 2004 which injured one child seriously and minor injuries to two other children. After conducting interviews with the occupants and looking at evidence on the fire scene it has been determined that the cause of the fire was "Unintentional, Children Playing with a Fire Source". The fire was reported at approximately 8:32 a.m. after one of the children inside the house went to a neighbor's house and ask them to call 911. Charletta Davis the mother of the children was not home at the time of the fire but her brother, Antonio Simon, 15, was home with them at the time. Simon was asleep and woke up after hearing the cries of the other children. He then got up and opened the bedroom door to discover fire in the hallway. Simon then escaped out of the bedroom window and ran around the house calling out the children's names where he found his 6-year-old nephew already outside. Simon then went to the back of the house where he discovered his two nieces still inside the house. He opened a window and pulled his 4 and 5-year-old nieces out to safety. The 5-year-old female received 2nd/3rd degree burns to the hands, nose and forehead and was transported to USAMC. The 4 year old female and 6 year old male had minor smoke inhalation and were transported to USA Woman's and Children's Hospital for evaluation where they were later released to the care of relatives. The fire originated at the East End of the hallway, center of the residence. The fire extended throughout the hallway with slight extension into a bedroom in the northeast corner of the house and living room in the northwest corner of residence. The fire caused an estimated $10 thousand in damage. ###