07/22/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, USA // Tara Monks // Tara Monks
Staten Island, NY – An early morning blaze on Thursday, July 22, 2010 took the lives of a mother and her four children, as reported by NY1.com. The Staten Island fire broke out at approximately 4:15 a.m., on the top floor of a house at 302 Nicholas Avenue in Port Richmond.
Fire officials are investigating the cause of the blaze, and reported there were no smoke detectors in the apartment.
The children were aged 2, 7, 10 and 14. They lived with their mother on the second floor of the two-story building, according to fire officials. According to a neighbor reports, the mother’s name was Lisa Jones. She reportedly attended beauty school during the day. She had two girls and two boys.
One neighbor described her as, “She was trying to better her life for her and her children,” stating that she “took care of her kids very well.”
Residents on the first floor of the building reported they heard popping noises before the fire broke out. Investigators have labeled the cause as suspicious.
Sources say two police officers nearby smelled smoke and rushed over to the house. Upon arriving, they helped pull three families living in the building to safety.
According to NY1, two complaints against the property owner were filed in 2005 and 2007 about an illegal conversion.
As the cause remains under investigation, FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano pointed out, “And we keep trying to remind people that a simple $10 or $15 smoke detector could have made a difference in saving five lives here.”
Media Information:
Address: Port Richmond, New York
Phone: (866) 598-1315
Url: http://TaraMonks.visionsmartnews.com/staten-island-fire-five-dead-after-early-morning-blaze_1511.html