| 5 juveniles arrested
in Owensboro hotel fire
Sun, Sep. 03, 2006
OWENSBORO, Ky. - Five juveniles were charged on Sunday
for their alleged involvement in a hotel fire that
injured four people the day before, authorities said.
A 16-year-old was charged with first-degree arson
and first-degree burglary in the fire, which happened
early Saturday morning at the 600-room Executive Inn
Rivermont in Owensboro.
Four other teenagers were charged with criminal trespassing
in connection with the incident, police said.
The fire sent at least four people to the hospital
- two guests, a fire inspector and a firefighter.
Assistant Fire Chief John Vessels said he didn't know
how many others went to the hospital by private vehicle
to get checked out.
Fire Inspector Cliff Brandon was the only person
still in the hospital on Sunday, Vessels said. Brandon
was taken to the emergency room at Owensboro Medical
Health System for chest pains and remained there for
observation, Vessels said. A firefighter and two guests
were treated in the emergency room and released, he
said.
"We're just glad no one was really hurt badly,"
Executive Inn general manager Barry Bartley said.
The fire started in an unoccupied room on the second
floor of the pool building, said Steve Leonard, a
fire department battalion chief.
Vessels said no accelerants were found at the scene.
The fire, smoke and water damaged about 242 rooms,
officials said. About 80 of the rooms were occupied
when the fire was reported at 4:06 a.m. CDT.
When fire units arrived, heavy, black smoke was coming
from the pool building on the west wing and a lot
of people were calling for help, some disoriented,
Leonard said.
"The firefighters had to do two different things
simultaneously - fight the fire and rescue,"
Leonard said. "They broke out windows and rescued
people with the ladders. It was pretty extraordinary."
Hotel officials had started evacuations before the
fire trucks arrived, Bartley said. Guests were immediately
relocated to rooms in the tower.
Assistant Manager Jan Kinsey said hotel sales staff
is going through the lodging list to make sure guests
can be accommodated. Other local hotels are helping
the hotel and convention center, she said.
**********************************************
5 teens charged in fire at Owensboro hotel
Monday, September 4, 2006
OWENSBORO, Ky. -- Five juveniles were charged yesterday
in connection with a hotel fire that injured four
people the day before, authorities said.
A 16-year-old was charged with first-degree arson
and first-degree burglary in the fire, which happened
early Saturday morning at the 600-room Executive Inn
Rivermont in Owensboro. Four other teenagers were
charged with criminal trespassing, police said.
The fire sent at least four people to a hospital
-- two guests, a fire inspector and a firefighter.
Assistant Fire Chief John Vessels said he didn't know
how many others went to a hospital by private vehicle
to be checked out.
Fire inspector Cliff Brandon was the only person
still hospitalized yesterday, Vessels said. Brandon
was taken to the emergency room at Owensboro Medical
Health System for chest pains and remained there for
observation, Vessels said. The firefighter and two
guests were treated in the emergency room and released,
he said.
"We're just glad no one was really hurt badly,"
Executive Inn general manager Barry Bartley said.
The fire started in an unoccupied room on the second
floor of the pool building, said Steve Leonard, a
fire department battalion chief.
Vessels said no accelerants were found at the scene.
The fire, smoke and water damaged about 242 rooms,
officials said. About 80 of the rooms were occupied
when the fire was reported about 4 a.m.
When fire units arrived, heavy smoke was coming from
the pool building in the west wing, and a lot of people,
some of whom were disoriented, were calling for help,
Leonard said.
"The firefighters had to do two different things
simultaneously: fight the fire and rescue," Leonard
said.
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