Kid Dies In Fatal Fire, Highlights Importance Of Safety
Sunday was a sad day for many people in La Crosse, WI when the La Crosse Housing Authority Huber Homes caught on fire. A police officer was patrolling the area on Sunday morning when he saw the fire and he tried to get in but was unable to reach the second floor where Angelo Poppe, a six-year-old boy was at. Angelo was later on rescued by the La Crosse Fire Department when they arrived. Despite the attempts of the staff of Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center to revive the little boy, he died of smoke inhalation. Perhaps a sadder aspect of the whole story is that authorities say that the fire was caused by a child playing with a lighter.
Though this incident occurred at home, I cannot help but realize the importance of disseminating the proper information among our children. According to Captain John Helfrich of the La Crosse Fire Department, regular demonstrations and informative sessions on fire safety are being done in the schools. However, when an incident like this one happens, he feels as if he could have done more. He said:
You really do feel bad about it because we did lose a young boy, and you wish that…you know…”could I have done this? Could I have done that?…talked to him…talked to him while he was in school.
Though of course the Captain and his staff are not to blame, it does highlight the need to place more emphasis on fire safety. Even though the accident did not happen within school premises, it could easily have occurred in school. Now that school is out, children will be staying more at home and how they might carry on the same behavior and beliefs as they do while at school.
We know that young children seem to have a fascination with fire. I still remember that, as a child, I would be oh so tempted to light a match but afraid at the same time. This mixture is volatile, to say the least, as playing with fire when you are afraid of it can lead to deadly situations as the one that happened in La Crosse.
I was just thinking, perhaps now that school is out, it would be a good time to remind children on fire safety. Programs such as the La Crosse Fire Department’s Juvenile Firesetters Program would be a good idea for a summer activity.
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Posted on June 23rd, 2008 by Deborah J Thomas
Filed under: News, Parents, People Involved, Students
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