SMALL PLANES CONTINUE TO TAKE LIVES: Captain Nicholas Thomas, 34, and Jacob McGoldrick, 37, are confirmed dead after a Aviat A-1B Husky plane crashed and burned Thursday morning in Butterfield Canyon, Utah

Two people are confirmed dead after a small plane crashed and burned Thursday morning in Butterfield Canyon. Photo Courtesy: UPD





Update: 2 dead in small plane crash in Butterfield Canyon identified

By Gephardt Daily Staff - July 14, 2017




SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, July 14, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — Two men who died after a small plane crashed and burned Thursday morning in Butterfield Canyon have been identified.

The deceased are Nicholas Thomas, 34, and Jacob McGoldrick, 37, officials confirmed Friday morning. Thomas was a captain with the Utah Army National Guard.

“His tragic death weighs heavy on our organization, and our hearts go out to the Thomas family in their time of loss,” the Utah Army National Guard said in a news release.

Unified Police Department Lt. Brian Lohrke said officials got word from the Utah Highway Patrol about a small aircraft going down in the area at approximately 10 a.m.

“We were able to get patrol officers up there immediately and also do a search and rescue call out and got search and rescue personnel up there,” Lohrke said. “We were able to locate the crash site which is at the top of Butterfield Canyon right near the border of Salt Lake County and Tooele County. There’s also a Girl Scout Camp up there that has an enclosed fence area and I believe the crash site was pretty close to that camp. The terrain and the fencing around the area there slowed down our progress of getting to the crash site but we were able to get there and we have everything we need up there right now.”

The crash also caused a small brush fire in the area.

“Our first initial rescuers gave us that information that there was a fire and the plane was on fire, and because of the brush around the area they were very concerned about that,” Lohrke added.

Unified Fire Authority responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.

Butterfield Canyon is just west of the city of Herriman.




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



2 dead after plane crashes in Butterfield Canyon
By Carter Williams, KSL.com | Posted Jul 13th, 2017 @ 3:30pm


HERRIMAN, UTAH — Two men died after the small aircraft they were flying in crashed in Butterfield Canyon Thursday morning, police said.

Emergency crews responded to a report of a small aircraft crash shortly before 10 a.m., according to Unified Police Lt. Brian Lohrke. He said the initial call came in from Utah Highway Patrol.

A crash site was located by a Department of Public Safety helicopter about 6 miles up the canyon, Lohrke said. He added the crash was near a girls camp in the area.

Two men inside the plane were found dead at the scene, Lohrke said. He said the men were ages 34 and 37. Their names were not immediately released.

The crash ignited a small fire that was extinguished quickly by Unified fire officials, Lohrke added.


Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the plane was an Aviat A-1B Husky, which Lohrke described as a small two-seater aircraft. Kenitzer added the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

Lohrke said crews were trying to protect the scene for investigators while also making sure the crash didn't spark a wildfire.

"We want to preserve as much evidence as we can," he said. "That's something with the fire extinguishing that we have to be cautious of. Of course, we don't want everything around it caught on fire."

Butterfield Canyon was closed as a result of the crash, Lohrke said.



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

SALT LAKE CITY — Authorities have identified two men who were killed in a civilian plane crash in Butterfield Canyon Thursday, and one of the victims served as a Captain in the Utah National Guard.

According to a press release issued Friday, Captain Nicholas Thomas, 34, of the Utah Army National Guard was killed in Thursday’s crash.

“His tragic death weighs heavy on our organization, and our hearts go out to the Thomas family in their time of loss,” the Utah National Guard stated in the press release.

Later Friday, police identified the other victim as 37-year-old Jacob McGoldrick. Police say McGoldrick and his fiance lived in South Carolina, but his immediate family lives in Australia.

The small aircraft went down near the border of Tooele and Salt Lake counties Thursday morning.

”What caught my eye was there was a yellow, smaller aircraft making a right hand turn that was relatively low into the canyon, but it looked like it was losing altitude,” said Trooper Jay Watkins, who witnessed the moments before the deadly crash.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Fox 13 News will update this story as more details emerge.





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



BUTTERFIELD CANYON, Utah - Two people are dead after a plane crash in the Oquirrh Mountains Thursday morning, and a Utah Highway Patrol trooper happened to spot the aircraft moments before it went down.

The crash happened just before 10 a.m. in Butterfield Canyon. Police say the plane crashed near the border of Salt Lake and Tooele counties.

Trooper Jay Watkins with the Utah Highway Patrol says he was driving up the west side of the valley when he figured he would take a ride up through Butterfield Canyon. He says he’s never been up the canyon before and wanted to familiarize himself with the area,

Little did he know he would be the one to spot a fatal plane crash.

”What caught my eye was there was a yellow, smaller aircraft making a right hand turn that was relatively low into the canyon, but it looked like it was losing altitude,” Watkins said.

Then he lost sight of it. He drove farther up the road, higher into the canyon, to see if he could get a better look, but it was gone. Then, a cloud of smoke started rising. That’s when he called in the UHP helicopter.

“These types of situations are hard because sometimes when you get in these aircraft accidents they are not in the best of locations,” Watkins said. “You know, if they’re in a mountain, where we were on the top of a mountain, it becomes a pretty big challenge to, especially if it’s steep, to get down to where the rescue needs to take place.”

Watkins called what he witnessed “surreal.” It reminds him of the plane crash he survived on New Year’s Day 2003. He flew into a mountain and was stuck there overnight. A UHP helicopter was able to spot his downed plane, just like they did this one in Butterfield Canyon.

“My heart really goes out to this family, because I understand, I know the feelings and I know the emotion that’s tied to these types of things,” Watkins said.

As firefighters and some rescuers leave the scene, others are still working with investigators from the FAA to determine what happened.

“We’re going to be working with the FAA, where the aircraft originated from, who was on board,” said Lt. Brian Lohrke of the Unified Police Department. “As far as any licensure of pilots, the FAA is going to be looking into that as well.”

Trooper Watkins says he wasn’t able to make it down to the crash from where he was, and that’s something that will stick with him.

“Why I lived and why other people don’t is beyond me in some cases, but only the good Lord knows those types of things,” he said.

Police are still not able to release the identities of the two individuals who died in this crash. After they determine those details with the help of the FAA, they will still have to notify family before those names are released.

Later Thursday police stated that circumstantial evidence suggests the victims are both men between the ages of 34 and 37, though those details will need to be confirmed by a medical examiner.



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



Date: 13-JUL-2017
Time: Around 10:00
Type:
Aviat A-1B Husky
Owner/operator: SWGB Aviation LLC
Registration: N211AM
C/n / msn: 2110
Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Butterfield Canyon, Salt Lake County, W of Herriman, UT - United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature: Private
Departure airport: South Valley Rgn'l (U42)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
The small two-seater aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances. Two people were found dead at the crash site. The aircraft was partially consumed by the post-crash fire.


Sources:
http://gephardtdaily.com/local/2-confirmed-dead-in-small-plane-crash-in-butterfield-canyon/
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=45006083
http://kutv.com/news/local/plane-crash-fire-in-butterfield-canyon-kills-two
http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=100:95:8102783097280::NO::P95_EVENT_LCL_DATE,P95_LOC_CITY_NAME,P95_REGIST_NBR:13-JUL-17,BUTTERFIELD%20CANYON,N211AM
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N211AM

Texas pastor meets his Creator in the Heavens: Trevor Morris died after a 1981 Piper PA-31T1 Cheyenne plane crashed shortly after take off near Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, Tyler, TX

The Piper PA-31T1 Cheyenne plane that crashed

Trevor Morris poses for a photo with his family. Morris was the pastor of Union Hill Baptist Church and Vice President of Burton Oil Service Operations, and passed away in a plane crash in Tyler, Texas, on Thursday, July 13, 2017. Family and friends remembered him as a man of God who cared deeply about his family and others around him. (Photo courtesy of Tiffani Shelby)









East Texas pastor killed in plane crash near Tyler Pounds Airport remembered as family man Published on Thursday, 13 July 2017 23:38 -

Written by LOUANNA CAMPBELL AND CHELSEA PURGAHN, news@tylerpaper.com


The East Texas pastor killed in a plane crash early Thursday near Tyler Pounds Regional Airport was a dedicated father of five, man of God and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. 

Here is what he posted on his Facebook page:


Intro
Vice president at Burton Oil Service Operations
Pastor at Union Hill Baptist Church
Former Missionary to Ecuador at BMAA Missions
Went to North Garland High School
Lives in Murchison, Texas
Married to Nafisa A. Morris
From Garland, Texas
“He loved his wife, gave God the glory and served Jesus,” said Eric Johnson, Baptist Mission Association of America International Missions Director, who met Trevor Morris through missionary work. “He was a husband, a great friend. He loved to share the message of Christ.”

Morris, lead pastor with Union Hill Baptist Church in Brownsboro, was on board the small twin-engine plane that went down about 8:15 a.m. Thursday.


Morris was the vice president of Burton Oil Service Operations and traveled to Midland frequently for his job. It was where he was headed when the plane went down, said Aaron Greenwood, worship pastor for the church.


The pilot was also killed when the plane crashed in a pasture near Tyler Pounds Regional Airport. The pilot’s name has not been released.

Johnson said he met Morris about eight years ago at Union Hill Baptist Church after being invited to speak there about mission life. They became good friends through church and ministry and stayed in touch often.


He said Morris and his family went to Ecuador in 2012 for mission work, staying two years.

Morris was a dedicated family man who raised goats and loved fishing and hunting, Johnson said.

“Everything he did, he did well,” Johnson said through tears.

He was very proud of his children, a grown son who followed his father’s footsteps in joining the Marines, and four young children, the youngest only 16 months old, who are still at home with Nafisa, his wife of 15 years.

Preston and Christie Burton have been friends with the Morris family for eight years after meeting them at the church and finding out some of their children were close in age. Preston had worked with Morris for about three of those years.

“Everything about his life pointed toward Jesus - it was evident in the way he worked as an employee for me and it was evident to the people we worked for,” Burton said. “We’ve had countless people come to us and ask us the question ‘What’s different about you?’ and the answer is always the same: ‘It’s Christ.’”

“Trevor was a man with great passion to love and serve the Lord first and foremost before anything else. If there was one message he wanted to get out, it was that this life was about God and not us. ... His passion was to get the message to men, to disciple their families, to teach them so that the gospel of Jesus Christ would be shared for generations to come.”

“There will be grief in the loss of him here physically, but we know that it was God’s plan for him to be in heaven,” Preston said, tearing up. “There’s definitely peace in knowing that he is in glory, standing face to face with God.

“He’d be the first to tell you that there’s a sovereign plan that God has for each and every one of us. God called him home. He served his plan,” he added.

Glenda Wallace, who has been church secretary at Union Hill Baptist for the past 20 years, said Morris was an amazing father to his children.

“He was diligent about teaching his children and did a great job educating his children about God,” Wallace said.

She said Morris had been with the church for at least three years before leaving for Ecuador and he returned to the church about a year ago.

“When he came back from the mission field, we needed a pastor again and he decided to apply and we were elated,” Wallace said. “He was a wonderful pastor and person and friend, but he was very gifted in delivering sermons and teaching, just the new details that you wonder, ‘How does he remember all this?’ We’re going to miss him and I don’t know what we’re going to do at this point.”

Emergency crews responded to the plane crash, about 1 mile south of Pleasant Retreat Road, after receiving a report that a small aircraft went down shortly after takeoff.

Tyler Police Department spokesman Don Martin said the wreckage was difficult to locate because there was no smoke or flames coming from the crash area.

“Officers went deep into the fields and eventually located the plane in a pasture,” Martin said.

Fred Wullschleger, a witness to the crash, said he was on a morning walk with his dog when he heard the plane take off.

“I heard the plane rev up and then all the sudden it just quit and then boom, that’s when he hit the ground,” Wullschleger said.

Air traffic to and from the airport was not affected by the incident.


Jesus could not save this great man.  Perhaps he was too good for this world and God called him back Home.


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


UPDATE: Two people are confirmed dead in this crash.

Don Martin with the Tyler Police Department said his department is leaving and that DPS will now work the scene and recover the bodies.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Emergency crews are on scene of downed plane south of Tyler Pounds airport.

Reports of a downed aircraft came in around 8 a.m. Thursday morning.

Searchers found the plane near the Pleasant Retreat center off County Road 1145. The exact location has not been released.

Jenny Wells with the City of Tyler said the the pilot is alive but is stuck in the plane. Tyler Fire Department is working to extricate him.

There are reports of passengers as well, be we do not know how many or their conditions at this time.

No flames were visible when search crews located it.

The plane is a twin-engine private aircraft that crashed shortly after takeoff from Tyler Pounds Airport. According to Lynn Lunsford with the FAA it is a Piper PA-31.







Date: 13-JUL-2017
Time: 08:15
Type:
Piper PA-31T1 Cheyenne
Owner/operator: T-210 Holdings LLC
Registration: N47GW
C/n / msn: 31T-8104030
Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: near Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, Tyler, TX (TYR/KTYR) - United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature: Private
Departure airport: Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, TX (TYR/KTYR)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
The plane crashed shortly after take off due to unknown circumstances. Two occupants sustained fatal injures, according to initial reports.

Sources:
http://www.wfaa.com/news/two-dead-in-twin-engine-plane-crash-near-tyler-pounds-airport/456353736
http://www.tylerpaper.com/TP-News+Local/292490/two-confirmed-dead-in-plane-crash-near-tyler-pounds-airport
http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=100:95:8102783097280::NO::P95_EVENT_LCL_DATE,P95_LOC_CITY_NAME,P95_REGIST_NBR:13-JUL-17,TYLER,N47GW
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N47GW
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N47GW

Charles (Chuck) J. Bagley, 59, of Dequincy, La., an employee (lineman) of Newtron Beaumont, died after a crane crushed him at MLK and Terminal road near the Motiva plant in Port Arhur, Texas

IBEW Local 2286
Yesterday at 9:29am ·


It is with great sadness, we lost an IBEW brother, longtime member Chuck Bagley, in a tragic accident Thursday afternoon. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers as reality sets in and for the difficult days and months ahead.

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

Motiva officials are investigating the death of a 59-year-old Louisiana man at the Port Arthur refinery's right-of-way Thursday night.

Justice of the Peace Tom Gillam III identified the man as Charles J. Bagley of Dequincy, La.

Gillam said the he expects Bagley's autopsy to be completed Saturday morning.

"Safety is Motiva's first priority and we are deeply saddened by this event," the statement said.


General Manager Greg Lucchesi said the "Motiva family is devastated by the news."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased contract employee, their family and coworkers," he said. "We are focused on supporting the family and conducting a thorough investigation into the cause to ensure this never happens again."

"We're deeply saddened by the incident, and it is currently under investigation.," said Mike Defee, manager at Newtron Beaumont, in a statement. Chuck was a lineman with Newtron Beaumont.  The Newtron Group is one of the largest privately owned Specialty Industrial Construction companies in the United States and is among the nation's leading Industrial Electrical and Instrumentation providers. 


The Port Arthur Fire Department responded to the incident at Terminal Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at about 4:15 p.m., according to city spokesperson Risa Carpenter.

Carpenter said Bagley was struck by an unknown piece of equipment and was transported to Southeast Texas Medical Center where he died later in the evening.

According to the most recent information available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas has the most workplace fatalities in the nation.

In 2015, Texas had 527 fatalities out of a total of 4,836 nationwide, followed by California with 388.

Eleven fatalities were in the Beaumont-Port Arthur metro area.

The last fatality at a Motiva facility took place in 2010 when a crane fell on a contract employee with Beacon Construction Co. at the Motiva Port Arthur refinery
========================

Motiva contract worker dies after accident near Texas refinery


HOUSTON (Reuters) - A contract worker died on Thursday from injuries received in an accident while working for Motiva Enterprises in an area between its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery and terminal, the company said.

"The Motiva family is devastated by this news," said Greg Lucchesi, general manager of the Port Arthur refinery.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased contract employee, his family and coworkers. We are focused on supporting the family and conducting a thorough investigation into the cause to ensure this never happens again."

Motiva also said the worker was an employee of Newtron Beaumont, which is an electrical and instrumentation contractor in Beaumont, Texas.

A source familiar with refinery operations said the worker was working near a crane when it apparently fell over on him.



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



Motiva Port Arthur announced in a statement Thursday night that a contract employee from Newtron's Beaumont Facility was killed while working in the refinery's right-of-way.

"Safety is Motiva's first priority and we are deeply saddened by this event," the statement said.

General Manager Greg Lucchesi said the "Motiva family is devastated by the news."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased contract employee, their family and coworkers," he said. "We are focused on supporting the family and conducting a thorough investigation into the cause to ensure this never happens again."


"We're deeply saddened by the incident, and it is currently under investigation.," said Mike Defee, manager at Newtron Beaumont, in a statement.

The Port Arthur Fire Department responded to the incident at Terminal Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at about 4:15 p.m., according to city spokesperson Risa Carpenter.

Carpenter said the man, whose name has not yet been released, was struck by an unknown piece of equipment and was transported to Southeast Texas Medical Center where he died later in the evening.

Texas has the most workplace fatalities of any state.  Messy-messy state, little oversight, cheap Mexican laborers have few safeguards.

In 2015, it had 527 workplace fatalities, followed by California with 388, according to the most recent information available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Eleven fatalities were in the Beaumont-Port Arthur metro area.

The last fatality at a Motiva facility took place in 2010 when a crane fell on a contract employee with Beacon Construction Co. at the Motiva Port Arthur refinery.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.




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






PORT ARTHUR - Port Arthur police department responded to an accident at MLK and Terminal road near the Motiva plant at approximately 5:00p.m. Thursday.

A crane had fallen on an individual, according to a Port Arthur Police spokesperson.

The contract employee from Newtron's Beaumont Facility was doing maintenance work on the right-of-way between the Port Arthur refinery and Port Arthur Terminal according to Motiva. Motiva emphasized that safety is their first priority and that they are deeply saddened by the event.

Acadian Ambulance responded to the scene and transported the man to the Medical Center of Southeast Texas, where he was pronounced dead.

The name of man is not being released until next of kin has been notified.

OSHA and Motiva are investigating the accident.

Motiva issued the following statement: The Motiva family is devastated by this news,” said Greg Lucchesi, General Manager of the Port Arthur Refinery. Our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased contract employee, their family and coworkers. We are focused on supporting the family and conducting a thorough investigation into the cause to ensure this never happens again.



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



PORT ARTHUR, Texas - A DeQuincy, Louisiana, man has been identified as the victim in an accident near the Motiva plant late Thursday afternoon.

Charles Bagley, 59, suffered massive trauma to his entire body and was killed following an accident with a pole truck at MLK and Terminal Road according to Precinct 8 Justice of the Peace Tom Gillam III

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident. A spokesperson says that Newtron Beaumont has received four safety violations in the past, including the most recent in June 2016 that involved a $37,000 safety penalty against the company.

Two of the four safety violations were rejected by Newtron Beaumont and are currently being looked at by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Bagley's organs are being donated and an autopsy should be completed Saturday morning according to Gillam.

Bagley, who worked for Newtron Beaumont, was working with other employees along the right of way between the Port Arthur refinery and Motiva's terminal.

47-year-old worker Robert Stauffer of Landisville died after being crushed under a piece of lift equipment early Saturday morning at Phoenix Packaging in Mount Joy, PA

A worker who was killed in an accident at a Mount Joy packaging firm has been identified as 47-year-old Robert Stauffer of Landisville, Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said Sunday.


Stauffer died after being crushed under a piece of lift equipment early Saturday at Phoenix Packaging, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.



PEMA spokeswoman Ruth Miller referred other questions to the company, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which did not immediately return calls Saturday morning.


An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, the coroner said.


Emergency dispatch reports at 5:25 a.m. indicated that a male was trapped under a heavy lift at 1160 E. Main St.


Mount Joy Fire Chief Philip Colvin described the lift as part of a processing line and said workers had raised it off the person by the time his crew arrived.




=====================MOUNT JOY, LANCASTER COUNTY, PA
A worker died after being crushed under a piece of lift equipment early Saturday morning at Phoenix Packaging in Mount Joy, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.


PEMA spokeswoman Ruth Miller referred other questions to the company, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which did not immediately return calls Saturday morning.


Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamontoni said Saturday afternoon that the worker killed was a man in his 40s, and that authorities were waiting to publicly identify him until his next of kin was notified.


Diamontoni said the incident still under investigation appeared to be an industrial accident, and that findings on the cause and manner of death were expected following an autopsy scheduled for Monday morning.


Emergency dispatch reports at 5:25 a.m. indicated that a male was trapped under a heavy lift at 1160 E. Main St.


Mount Joy Fire Chief Philip Colvin described the lift as part of a processing line and said workers had raised it off the person by the time his crew arrived.




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







MOUNT JOY, LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa — An employee at the Phoenix Packaging Plant in Mount Joy was killed this morning after a piece of lifting equipment fell, trapping the victim underneath.

Emergency crews were dispatched just before 5:30 a.m. Fire Chief Philip Colvin of the Fire Department of Mount Joy says they were initially dispatched for an industrial rescue, but when they arrived workers had already freed the trapped employee.

Colvin says the lift device that fell on the employee, was part of a processing line.

Fire crews continued to work with medical crews and determined that the employee was deceased at the scene.

This is a developing story.




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

Worker killed at Pennsylvania packaging plant by lift device

The Associated Press

MOUNT JOY, Pa.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency says a worker has been killed at a packaging plant.

PEMA spokeswoman Ruth Miller says the death occurred at Phoenix Packaging in Mount Joy.

Lancaster County 911 dispatchers say the man was trapped under a piece of lift equipment just before 5:30 a.m. Saturday. Mount Joy Fire Chief Philip Colvin says the lift device was part of a processing line. He says workers moved the device off the fallen worker before emergency crews arrived.

PEMA officials referred calls to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the company, which didn't immediately comment.

The coroner said the victim was a man in his 40s and planned an autopsy Monday.


Phoenix Packaging's website says the company makes cardboard boxes and other materials used for shipping and mailing.

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



MOUNT JOY, PA — The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency says a worker has been killed by a piece of lift equipment at a packaging plant.

PEMA spokeswoman Ruth Miller says the death occurred at Phoenix Packaging in Mount Joy.

Lancaster County 911 dispatchers say the situation was reported just before 5:30 a.m. Saturday. Mount Joy Fire Chief Philip Colvin says the lift device was part of a processing line. He says workers had lifted the device off the fallen male worker by the time emergency crews arrived.

PEMA officials referred calls to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the company. Neither responded immediately to phone messages seeking comment, nor did the county coroner.

Phoenix Packaging's website says the company makes cardboard boxes and other materials used for shipping and mailing.

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

NO SPRINKLER SYSTEM AT MARCO POLO! At least three people died in a massive 5-alarm fire at the Marco Polo apartments in Honolulu that started on the 26th floor and spread to at least the 27th floor and several units,

At least three people died Friday in a fire in a high-rise apartment building in Honolulu and authorities fear some residents may be trapped in surrounding units, fire officials said.

Kirk Caldwell, the Honolulu mayor, said the building--which was built in 1971-- did not have a sprinkler system.

More than 100 firefighters responded to the multiple-alarm fire at the Marco Polo apartments that started on the 26th floor where all the bodies were found.


The fire spread to at least the 27th floor and several units, said Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. David Jenkins.

Jenkins says the number of fatalities could change. He says at least 12 people have needed medical help.


Four of the injured, including a firefighter, were hospitalized in serious condition, officials said.

Troy Yasuda, who lives in a building across the street, was giving water to people who evacuated. "They were choking from the smoke," he said, adding that people told him they evacuated through dark stairwells.

Police were yelling through megaphones for people still inside to come down, Yasuda said. He watched as people were carried out.

"It's been an orderly evacuation," said security guard Leonard Rosa, who was answering phones from the front lobby of the 31-story building near Waikiki. Police and firefighters were going door-to-door, he said.

Firefighters were checking on reports that there were people trapped in their units, Jenkins said.

“Paramedics are expediting emergency treatment with a triage location inside the building,” Shayne Enright told The Honolulu Star Advertiser. The paper described the scene: “Flames were lapping out from the building and glass from the windows and window frames rained down on the ground. Heavy black smoke was visible from miles away.”

Fourth-floor resident Aaron Dengler and his wife were helping their elderly neighbor get to an aid station the American Red Cross set up at a nearby park. "It doesn't help to just stand and watch," he said.

About two hours after the fire started it looked like flames were getting bigger and it looked like the blaze was reaching the 28th floor, Dengler said. "People are getting kind of nervous now," he said. "It's worrisome."

One resident who declined to give his name said he made it to safety after climbing the stairs from the 29th floor. The man said there was so much smoke, he could hardly see.

The 36-story building just outside the tourist mecca of Waikiki has 568 apartment units.



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

Friday, July 14, 2017 11:49PM
HONOLULU -- More than 60 firefighters battled a multiple-alarm fire in a Honolulu high-rise apartment building Friday.

The blaze at the Marco Polo apartments started on the 26th floor and spread to at least the 27th floor and several units, said Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. David Jenkins.

Paramedics treated several injured people, he said.

Troy Yasuda, who lives in a building across the street, was giving water to people who evacuated. "They were choking from the smoke," he said, adding that people told him they evacuated through dark stairwells.

Police were yelling through megaphones for people still inside to come down, Yasuda said. He watched as people were carried out.

"It's been an orderly evacuation," said security guard Leonard Rosa, who was answering phones from the front lobby of the 31-story building near Waikiki. Police and firefighters were going door-to-door, he said.

Firefighters were checking on reports that there were people trapped in their units, Jenkins said.

Fourth-floor resident Aaron Dengler and his wife were helping their elderly neighbor get to an aid station the American Red Cross set up at a nearby park. "It doesn't help to just stand and watch," he said.

About two hours after the fire started it looked like flames were getting bigger and it looked like the blaze was reaching the 28th floor, Dengler said. "People are getting kind of nervous now," he said. "It's worrisome."

One resident who declined to give his name said he made it to safety after climbing the stairs from the 29th floor. The man said there was so much smoke, he could hardly see.


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

At least three people were killed in a massive fire at a Honolulu high-rise Friday, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said.

The blaze began around 2:15 p.m. Hawaiian time (8:15 p.m. ET) on the 26th floor of the Marco Polo Apartments, a 538-unit building that houses condominiums and apartments on Kapiolani Boulevard, Caldwell said.

The victims were found on the same floor, officials said.
About 100 firefighters worked to put down the flames and evacuate the residents.

"It's very difficult, even with the equipment that we have on -- to make our way to the floor of the fire," Honolulu Fire Chief Manuel Neves said.

It's unclear what may have started the fire but authorities said the apartment where the fire originated did not have sprinklers. 

"Without a doubt, if there was sprinklers in this apartment the fire would be contained to the unit of origin," Neves said. 

Mayor Caldwell agreed that a sprinkler system could have contained the fire, calling the incident a "good example of what it means when you don't have fire sprinklers."


The blaze leaped to the two floors directly above the origination point on the 26th floor, resident Joel Horiguchi told CNN.
"I looked out my window and noticed black smoke," Horiguchi said. "I then opened my window to find the fire was a unit above us, just across. I also heard a neighbor above screaming for help."

Some residents were treated for smoke inhalation and at least three people were taken to the hospital, CNN affiliate KHON reported.

Local firefighters and police were going door-to-door in search of residents. Leonard Rosa, a security officer in the building, said it will be "hours" before the fire is under control.Daniel Hildebrandt, a tour guide who saw the fire told CNN: "It was smoke at first and it got worse and worse ... there were flames coming out of the window and people that seem to be trapped on their balcony," he said