July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Portland man pulled from fire (07/24/2008)
Portland man pulled from fire (07/24/2008)
By By RACHELLE HAUGHN-
A Portland man is believed to be in stable condition after suffering burns on his head and face during a fire at his home Wednesday afternoon.
Charles Turner, 931 W. High St., was taken by ambulance to Jay County Hospital, then flown by helicopter to St. Joseph Hospital, Fort Wayne, a Portland firefighter said this morning. Turner turned 87 years old today.
The firefighter said Turner was in stable condition last night. He was not listed in the hospital's directory this morning, a hospital spokesperson said. He suffered burns on about 20 percent of his body, the firefighter said. He also suffered from smoke inhalation.
Turner was found lying on the floor in his first floor bedroom by Portland Fire Chief Matt Aker and firefighter Zach Gaskill.
He was found during a second sweep of the two-story house, about 10 minutes after firefighters arrived at the scene.
"They did a hell of a job" rescuing Turner, firefighter and investigator Ron Somers said this morning.
Somers said he did not know the circumstances regarding Turner's injuries. Turner may have tried to extinguish the fire, Somers said.
The fire is believed to have started in the living room, but the cause has not been determined.
"We're not ruling out electrical," Somers said.
An official with the Indiana State Fire Marshal's office was in Portland Wednesday afternoon and helped search for the cause of the fire.
Everything in the living room was coal black, Somers said, making it difficult determine a cause of the fire. The remaining rooms in the downstairs of the house received smoke damage. The upstairs was untouched.
When the firefighters first searched for Turner, they couldn't find him because of the intense heat and smoke.
"It was just like a big oven. The heat and smoke inside the house was unbelievable," Somers said.
Firefighters also do not know exactly when the fire started. The fire was reported by a neighbor about 1:35 p.m. The fire may have been burning for a while before the neighbor saw smoke coming from the house.
The fire was smoldering by the time firefighters arrived at 1:40 p.m.
Fourteen firefighters responded with two trucks. Firefighters left the scene at 4:45 p.m.
Salamonia firefighters assisted at the scene and were on standby at the Portland Fire Station while the fire was being extinguished.[[In-content Ad]]
Charles Turner, 931 W. High St., was taken by ambulance to Jay County Hospital, then flown by helicopter to St. Joseph Hospital, Fort Wayne, a Portland firefighter said this morning. Turner turned 87 years old today.
The firefighter said Turner was in stable condition last night. He was not listed in the hospital's directory this morning, a hospital spokesperson said. He suffered burns on about 20 percent of his body, the firefighter said. He also suffered from smoke inhalation.
Turner was found lying on the floor in his first floor bedroom by Portland Fire Chief Matt Aker and firefighter Zach Gaskill.
He was found during a second sweep of the two-story house, about 10 minutes after firefighters arrived at the scene.
"They did a hell of a job" rescuing Turner, firefighter and investigator Ron Somers said this morning.
Somers said he did not know the circumstances regarding Turner's injuries. Turner may have tried to extinguish the fire, Somers said.
The fire is believed to have started in the living room, but the cause has not been determined.
"We're not ruling out electrical," Somers said.
An official with the Indiana State Fire Marshal's office was in Portland Wednesday afternoon and helped search for the cause of the fire.
Everything in the living room was coal black, Somers said, making it difficult determine a cause of the fire. The remaining rooms in the downstairs of the house received smoke damage. The upstairs was untouched.
When the firefighters first searched for Turner, they couldn't find him because of the intense heat and smoke.
"It was just like a big oven. The heat and smoke inside the house was unbelievable," Somers said.
Firefighters also do not know exactly when the fire started. The fire was reported by a neighbor about 1:35 p.m. The fire may have been burning for a while before the neighbor saw smoke coming from the house.
The fire was smoldering by the time firefighters arrived at 1:40 p.m.
Fourteen firefighters responded with two trucks. Firefighters left the scene at 4:45 p.m.
Salamonia firefighters assisted at the scene and were on standby at the Portland Fire Station while the fire was being extinguished.[[In-content Ad]]
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