THE YOUNG AND THE ELDERLY ARE THE MOST FREQUENT VICTIMS OF HOUSE FIRES: THREE CHILDREN DEAD IN PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA HOUSE FIRE. THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN EXTENSION CORD THAT WAS COILED ON TOP OF SOME CLOTHS, THAT IGNITED THE CLOTHS WHEN THE CORD OVERHEATED

MARCH 7, 2015

PORTSMOUTH,VA. (WAVY)

An early morning fire on Pennock Street in Portsmouth left three children dead Saturday.

According to Chief Hoffler with the Portsmouth Fire Department, just after 1:00 a.m fire crews responded to the 20 block of Pennock Street for a report of a house fire with three children trapped inside.

The first firefighters who arrived on the scene confirmed there were three children inside the burning home.

Firefighters entered the house, located and brought one of the children out immediately. It took another three to four minutes to locate the other two and get them out of the house, according to Chief Hoffler.

Medics transported one of the children to Maryview Hospital where they later died. The other two children were pronounced deceased on the scene. Two of the deceased, a boy and a girl, were nine-month-old twins and the third was a three-year-old boy.

Two adults who were in the house made it out of the home unharmed. Fire officials originally thought there were four adults in the home.

A family friend tells WAVY.com that the father of the twins tried to get the three children out of the house, but was unable to because of the intensity of the flames.

Chief Hoffler says Portsmouth Fire Marshall’s determined the fire was caused by an extension cord that was coiled on top of some cloths, that ignited the cloths when the cord overheated. Portsmouth Police and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted in the investigation. Hoffler says the ATF helped in the investigation due to the deadly nature of the fire.

Source: www.wavy.com

INGLES GROCERY STORE IN LIBERTY, SC EVACUATED AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL. THE CHEMICAL USED TO CLEAN THE VEGETABLES CAUSED WATERING AND BURNING OF THE EYES.

MARCH 6, 2015

LIBERTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

The Ingles grocery store in Liberty was evacuated Friday morning after people in the store reported watering and burning of their eyes, the city fire chief said.

No one was injured in the incident, which Chief Chris Rowland said was caused by a chemical used by the store to clean vegetables.

A Pickens County Hazmat team was called in to respond to the incident, which was reported at 9:22 a.m., Rowland said.

EMS also was dispatched to the store on State 93, but no one needed to be transported.

Rowland didn't know the name of the chemical.

Store officials at the scene were unable to give an immediate comment.

If the chemical that cleans vegetables is an eye irritant, then we are in trouble.  That is why you always wash all the vegetables you buy at the store with clean fresh water.  No exceptions.

CHEMICAL LEAK AT LEESBURG HIGH SCHOOL SICKENS WORKERS, 1 HOSPITALIZED

MARCH 6, 2015

LEESBURG, FLORIDA

One cafeteria worker was hospitalized and several classes were evacuated after a chemical leak at Leesburg High School Friday morning.

Firefighters were called to the school and determined a foul odor coming from the warehouse was getting into the school's ventilation system. School officials roped off the cafeteria and sent students in the two closest buildings to the auditorium.

"The fire department did determine the source of the odor was a leak coming from old equipment, (and) we are waiting to see what piece of equipment that leak came from, but we have since been given the all clear and we have returned to our normal procedures," said Sherri Owens, public information officer for Lake County Schools.

Testing at the school wasn't affected as students were able to take their tests on the other side of the school. Students got back to their classrooms after about 90 minutes.

Breakfast was brought in, but workers determined it was safe to serve lunch in the cafeteria. A second cafeteria worker went home sick.

Is it possible that somebody cut the cheese?

CN OIL TRAIN DERAILMENT IN NORTHERN ONTARIO: WE HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT KIND OF FIRE BEFORE. GOGAMA BRIDGE IS GONE. OIL IN THE RIVER. WE ARE SCARED.

Emily Chan, CTVNews.ca 

Published Saturday, March 7, 2015 9:40AM EST 

Last Updated Saturday, March 7, 2015 4:15PM EST 

A CN freight train carrying crude oil derailed early Saturday in northern Ontario, causing 10 cars to jump the tracks.

Ontario Provincial Police said the derailment happened near Gogama, Ont., around 2:45 a.m. Saturday morning, with some of the cars catching fire and others falling into the Mattagami River.

Residents of Gogama and the local Mattagami First Nation have been instructed to stay indoors until further notice to prevent possible smoke inhalation. They have also been told to avoid drinking water from the "community source," police said.

Burning fuel fills the sky with smoke after a train derailment near Gogama, Ont. on Saturday March 7, 2015. (Denise Brunet / MyNews)

OPP Const. Gillian Coughlin told The Canadian Press that officers are on scene, and firefighters from the nearby Gogama Fire Department have been called in help douse the flames. Gogama is about 80 kilometres south of Timmins, Ont.

"There has been nobody injured which is crucial, but we definitely do have an issue going on there with cars that caught fire," Coughlin added.

The Gogama Fire Department released a statement saying the smoke itself is not toxic, but particles in the smoke may be dangerous. The department recommended anybody with breathing disorders stay inside until further notice.

"Emergency crews are conducting a full site assessment and activating the emergency response plan with local officials," CN spokesperson Emily Hamer told The Canadian Press.

A local business owner told The Canadian Press the fire spread quickly along the Mattagami River and has destroyed a bridge on the outskirts of Gogama.

"We have two exits in Gogama to get in and out of town and the bridge apparently is burned down," said Roxanne Veronneau, owner of the Gogama Village Inn.

"So now we have one other exit, which is relatively close to where all of this is going on."

The derailment also closed a section of Highway 144, between Highway 560 and Mattagami Reserve Road. The road is a major route connecting Timmins with southern Ontario. It is expected to remain closed for 24 to 36 hours, the OPP said.

Via Rail passenger service has also been cancelled between Winnipeg and Toronto. You can check the status of Via trains here.

Veronneau says that people in Gogama are on "edge," and she feared that the derailment could be a repeat of the deadly rail disaster in Lac-Megantic, Que.

"They're not impressed because it could have happened right here," she said. "Look in Quebec what happened to them and how many lives were lost.

"My inn is about 200 feet from the train tracks and it's a major concern for the people in town ... If it had happened in the middle of town we wouldn't be having a conversation right now because we would have gotten taken out. It would have been horrible being this close and the track runs right through the middle of Gogama."

Coughlin says that the cause of the derailment is still being probed, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has deployed investigators to the site.

This is the third time in the past month that a CN train has gone off the tracks in northern Ontario.

On Feb. 14, 29 train cars derailed south of Timmins. In that incident, seven cars caught on fire, and Via Rail passenger trains were forced to cancel trips along the route from Winnipeg to Toronto.

Another CN freight train carrying crude oil or gasoline derailed Thursday about 100 kilometres east of Hornepayne, Ont., but there was no spillage in that incident.

CN said the train that derailed on Saturday was outfitted to meet new upgraded standards for cars carrying crude oil and other flammable liquids. The changes were instituted in light of the Lac-Megantic disaster two years ago, which resulted in 47 deaths.

However, after the incident in February, the agency said the upgraded cars still "performed similarly" to those in involved in Lac-Megantic, and that last month's incident "demonstrates the inadequacy" of the new standards.

CN is urging Transport Canada to institute even greater protection standards to reduce the risk of spills.

2 WORKERS INJURED IN NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION AT PALLET LOGISTICS BUSINESS IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

MARCH 7, 2015

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

Two workers were injured in an explosion at a pallet company in St. Louis about noon Saturday.

The workers at Pallet Logistics Management were entering a room that is used to heat up and sterilize pallets, according to St. Louis Fire Capt. Garon Mosby. 

 The workers entered the room because they noticed a malfunction happening.  It appears natural gas had somehow built up in the room and it exploded when the workers opened the door.

The workers were not burned but suffered injuries in the blast, Mosby said. They were taken to a hospital and were described as stable.

The company is at 3311 Chouteau Avenue, just west of Compton Avenue. The natural gas service to the building has been shut off while the source of the problem is investigated.

Source: www.stltoday.com