Insurance fraud: Terrence Blenman, 29, set his car on fire off Spier Falls Road in Moreau, NY on Nov. 17 and falsely reported it was stolen to the police and his insurance company

MOREAU, NY —

A Warrensburg man was arrested by the Saratoga Sheriff's Office for allegedly lighting his car on fire and trying to claim insurance.

Terrence Blenman, 29, set his car on fire on Nov. 17 and reported it was stolen to the police and his insurance company, authorities said in a news release Friday. Upon investigation, Blenman's statement was found to be false.


He was charged with felony arson and insurance fraud, and midemeanor making a punishable false written statement.


As the old saying goes:  you lie, you lose.

=========================


MOREAU N.Y. (WRGB) - 

A Warrensburg man has been arrested after a lengthy investigation into a November 2017 car fire off Spier Falls Road in Moreau.

The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office says 39-year-old Terrence Blenman intentionally destroyed a car he owned by starting it on fire. They say Blenman reported the car as stolen to police and his insurance company.

Authorities add that their investigation determined that Blenman's car wasn't stolen and that he made a false statement to police while they were investigating.

They say Blenman left the country in December after reporting the incident. He was arrested by Border Patrol upon entry back into the United States from Guyana at JFK Airport.

He was charged with arson, insurance fraud and making a punishable false written statement. He was arraigned in the Town of Milton Court and is due back in court at a later date.

The Macklind Avenue Deli burned down because of carelessness with commercial-grade fireworks in the middle of the night on the 4th of July in south St. Louis, MO

Macklind Avenue Deli is our community center and has burned down because of carelessness with fireworks in the middle of the night on the 4th of July fireworks celebrations.


ST. LOUIS, MO

A fire that authorities suspect was ignited by errant fireworks destroyed a deli in south St. Louis early Thursday.

The fire, reported before 1 a.m., was at the Macklind Avenue Deli, 4721 Macklind Avenue, in the city's Southampton neighborhood. The cause is under investigation.

Heavy fire was coming from the roof of the one-story brick commercial building when firefighters arrived. Capt. Garon Mosby of the St. Louis Fire Department, in his updates on social media, said the two-alarm fire grew rapidly.

Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said errant fireworks are the likely cause. Residents said there were large fireworks going off before the fire was reported, he said.

“That was a valuable business,” the fire chief said.

Jenkerson said this year people were setting off what seemed like commercial-grade fireworks. He pointed out that igniting any fireworks is against the law in St. Louis.

One firefighter battling the fire at the deli suffered head and neck injuries when a ceiling fell on him, Jenkerson said. That firefighter was hospitalized and his condition was stable. Another firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.

About 60 firefighters helped fight the blaze.

The deli opened in 2006. Its longtime owners, Dick and Carol Krekeler, sold the business this spring. Its current owner, identified in city property records as Anthony Zanti, could not be reached for comment.

Max Crask, who is part of the management group that runs it, said the Fire Department thought fireworks started the fire.

"It's a total loss, it really sucks," he said. "It was something important to the neighborhood. We really loved it."

Crask said they hope to rebuild. "My gut instinct is yeah we get it rebuilt as soon as we can," but he said the decision is really the owner's and insurance and other factors will determine its future. The deli was insured, he said.

A gofundme account has been set up to help the deli.

Crask said a friend who lives around the corner from the deli saw the fire and called Crask to tell him about the fire, and Crask raced to the scene and was there when fire crews pulled up.

Crask said the deli prided itself on the fact that all deli meats were made in house and that it was sourcing local products. They just put in a butcher counter and started getting in some local farmer produce. "It was really just catching its stride," he said.

=============================



Fireworks suspected as cause of Macklind Avenue Deli blaze
July 5, 2018



ST. LOUIS, MO – 

A Southampton neighborhood landmark was destroyed in an overnight fire and investigators suspect fireworks as the possible cause.

St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said commercial-grade fireworks were exploding in the skies where the fire began at the Macklind Avenue Deli. He reminded folks that using fireworks in the city is illegal, but the fact that commercial grade fireworks were being used worried him.

People who lived in the area spent the day driving by the deli to take a look at what happened. The sight was upsetting to many folks.

“It’s definitely heartbreaking, very heartbreaking,” said Ann Murphy, who lives nearby.  

The fire broke out in the 40-year-old building around 1 a.m. Thursday. Flames leaped into the night air. It was so ferocious, firefighters had to change their plan of attack.

“We initially started off with a very aggressive interior attack, but the fire developed very rapidly,” said Fire Captain Garon Mosby. “We had a large amount of fire on arrival, but it grew exponentially throughout the entire attack.”

Two St. Louis firefighters were injured, one by falling debris. He was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. The other was treated on the scene after he was overcome by heat.

In their defensive position, crews soaked the building with lots of water from outside. They were able to protect nearby homes and Clementine’s Ice Cream, which is under construction.

Despite some smoke and water damage, Clementine’s owner, Tamara Keefe, still hopes to open next month thanks to firefighters.

“They were super engaged and they definitely were trying to protect our investment and our building as well,” she said.

After bringing the fire under control, crews returned to the scene after it rekindled. It was upsetting for neighbors to watch a local favorite destroyed by flames.

“I’ve been coming up here all the time. They’ve got good sandwiches and it’s really sad to see what happened to it,” said Michael Venturella, a deli customer.

Gerald Dunne, one of the deli’s owners, said he’s optimistic about returning.

“We talked to the owner of the building this morning he intends to rebuild and reopen as soon as possible,” he said.

That will not only be good news for neighbors, but also for the dozen people who work here.

The cause of the 2-alarm fire, 585 Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn that destroyed the Jie Yun S Electric Bicycle Shop and the Le Foutah African braiding shop was accidental. Was caused by lithium battery ignition at charging station. Smoke alarm not present.

Photo courtesy of the FDNY/Twitter

July 8, 2018
 
Per #FDNY Fire Marshals: Cause of 7/6 2-alarm fire, 585 Nostrand Ave. #Brooklyn was accidental, lithium battery ignition at charging station. Smoke alarm not present.

======================

Fire Erupts In Crown Heights Bike Shop, FDNY Says
Firefighers rushed to extinguish a second-alarm fire at a Nostrand Avenue bike shop Friday afternoon.
By Kathleen Culliton, Patch Staff 

July 6, 2018 4:40 pm ET

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — 

More than 100 firefighters fought to extinguish a massive fire in a Nostrand Avenue bike shop Friday afternoon, according to the FDNY.

A second-alarm fire erupted in Jie Yun S Electric Bicycle Shop at 585 Nostrand Ave. at about 3:30 p.m., an FDNY spokesman said.


"There y'all go," one man cries as three firefighters douse the blaze with water. "Team work."

Twenty-five units and 106 firefighters were sent to put out the blaze in the two-story building, which also houses an African braiding salon, said the FDNY.

FDNY tweeted photos of the burnt building at 4:40 p.m. and noted no injuries had yet to be reported.

A power strip sparked the flames that killed Anna Barthelemy, 95, in Brooklyn, NYC. Smoke alarms were not present in the basement.

Fire that killed 95-year-old woman inside Brooklyn home was ‘accidental’: Fire Marshals
Posted 12:11 PM, July 8, 2018, by PIX11 News


CANARSIE, Brooklyn — 

The fire that killed a 95-year-old woman inside a Brooklyn home was said to be “accidental,” fire officials tweeted Sunday.

Fire Marshals said the blaze was caused by a power strip and smoke alarms were not present in the basement.

There were smoke alarms on the first and second floors of the house, but they were not operational, authorities said.

Anna Barthelemy died in the fire that started in the basement of her Canarsie home on 93rd Street — a home she lived in for the past 20 years.

Firefighters responded to the blaze within two minutes of the initial 911 call, but officials told PIX11 they had difficulty getting to the basement because of a lot of clutter blocking the stairs.


Per #FDNY Fire Marshals: Cause of 7/8 fatal 2-alarm fire, 1358 E 93 St #Brooklyn was accidental, electrical, power strip. Smoke alarm not present in basement. Present but not operational on 1st and 2nd floors.

— FDNY (@FDNY) July 8, 2018

======================


Sunday, July 08, 2018

CANARSIE, Brooklyn (WABC) --

The FDNY says a power strip sparked the flames that killed a 95-year-old grandmother in Brooklyn.

The fire broke out around 3 p.m. in Canarsie on Saturday.

Anna Barthelemy was found dead in the basement.


Authorities say there were no working smoke alarms in the home.

Barthelemy's daughter originally said that the TV had exploded while her mother was watching it.



========================


Family says 95-year-old grandmother killed when TV exploded in Brooklyn home


Eyewitness News
Saturday, July 07, 2018 06:21PM
CANARSIE, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A 95-year-old woman was killed in a fire that started in the basement of a two-story home in Brooklyn.

The fire broke out just after 3 p.m. Saturday on the home on E. 93rd between Avenue K and Avenue L in Canarsie.

The woman's daughter, Esther Bedoit, says the TV in the basement exploded as her mother, Anna Barthelemy, was watching TV. Bedoit was in the home along with an aide at the time - they were both not injured.

Firefighters extinguished the flames within 30 minutes. One firefighter and a civilian suffered minor injuries.

The woman has a large family with nearly 20 granddaughters.