Latest news with #firetragedy
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Woman who died in Connemara house fire named as former US death row inmate Sunny Jacobs
A woman who spent five years on death row in the United States is one of the victims of the fire in Connemara which killed two people. Sonia 'Sunny' Jacobs spent 16 years in a Florida prison over the murder of two police officers. She was named locally in Connemara as a victim of the fire, along with a man in his 30s who has not yet been publicly identified. Jacobs was in a car with her partner Jesse Tafero and her two children, aged 9 years and 10 months, when she became caught up in a fatal shooting incident at an Interstate 95 rest stop in 1976. READ MORE Jacobs and Tafero were sentenced to death while a third man, Walter Rhodes, who was in the back seat of the car, later confessed to the murder. Tafero was executed in 1990. Ms Jacobs was eventually acquitted in 1992 and released from jail. On a visit to Ireland in 1998 while she was campaigning at an Amnesty International event for the abolition of the death penalty, she met Irishman Peter Pringle. He had been sentenced to death in Ireland for the murder o f gardas John Morley and Henry Byrne during a bank robbery in Ballaghaderreen in July 1980. His death sentence, along with that of two other men, was commuted to 40 years in jail. Mr Pringle was acquitted of the killing at the Court of Appeal in 1995 after the court ruled the original verdict was unsafe and unsound. The couple married in 2012 and they moved to Connemara. Mr Pringle died in 2023. In 2008, Ms Jacobs published the bestselling book Stolen Time about her period in jail. Tuesday' fire broke out at a cottage near Casla, a village between Inverin and Carraroe, at about 6am. 'At approximately 6:20am, gardaí and fire services were alerted to a house fire at Gleann Mhic Mhuireann,' An Garda Síochána said in a statement. 'The fire was brought under control by Fire Services and the bodies of a woman aged in her 70s and a man in his 30s were recovered from inside the house.' A forensic examination of the cottage, of which the two deceased are believed to have been the only occupants of at the time, is being carried out. The bodies have been transported to the University Hospital Galway mortuary to undergo postmortems and the coroner has been notified. 'The results of the postmortems, along with the findings of the technical examination, will determine the course of the Garda investigation,' the Garda added. Three units of the County Galway Fire Service and fire personnel from Galway city attended the scene. An Garda Síochána is appealing to anyone with information about the incident to contact Clifden Garda station on 095 22500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Grenfell Tower demolition could begin in September
Demolition of Grenfell Tower could begin in September, the Government has said. The update on timing comes less than a month before the eighth anniversary of the west London tower block fire, which claimed 72 lives. It had been announced in February that the tower will be brought down to ground level in a process likely to take two years. On Tuesday, the Government said work to prepare the site is expected to start in August, with September as the earliest date for work to 'carefully take down' the building to begin. The update, from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government noted that the work – which will happen behind the wrapping currently in place around the building – is subject to all 'necessary approvals' being in place. News of the Government's decision earlier this year that the tower would be brought down was met with criticism from some bereaved and survivors of the 2017 fire who expressed their upset and shock, saying they felt they had not had their views considered before the decision was taken. Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner later said in an interview that she knew the meeting with those most closely affected was going to be 'really difficult' and that there was 'not a consensus' among everyone over what should happen to the tower. Views have varied, with her department acknowledging there had been hopes for some of it to remain in place as a lasting memorial to what happened while others had reported this would be 'too painful'. The Government confirmed in February that engineering advice is that the tower 'is significantly damaged' and will get worse with time. Separately, the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission has been consulting on plans for a permanent memorial in the area of the tower, with recommendations including a 'sacred space', designed to be a 'peaceful place for remembering and reflecting'. It is expected a planning application for a memorial could be submitted in late 2026. The Government said it will also share further information about plans for a second site where materials from the tower 'which are not used in the memorial, or conserved, will be safely and respectfully laid to rest'.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- BBC News
Skegness caravan fire deaths of dad and daughter inquest opens
A father and his daughter who died in a fire at a Lincolnshire caravan park were killed by smoke inhalation, an inquest Baker, 48, and daughter Esme Baker, 10, from Retford, Nottinghamshire, died at Golden Beach Holiday Park, in Ingoldmells, near Skegness, on 5 a tribute, their family said last month they had been "excited to be spending the first weekend of the holidays together" .The inquests into their deaths were opened at Lincolnshire Coroner's Court by coroner Paul Smith and adjourned until 5 October. Mr Smith confirmed post-mortem examinations had been carried out on 11 April and the medical cause of both deaths were "inhalation of the products of combustion".Mr Baker had worked as a self-employed plasterer and was originally from Doncaster but had been living in Retford, the coroner an investigation into the blaze, Lincolnshire Police said the fire was "accidental". Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
Community gathers to honor fire victims
KINGSVILLE — Around 250 people gathered for a candlelight vigil Friday at Kingsville Elementary School to honor victims of a fatal fire earlier this week. The fire occurred early Monday morning at a home in the 5700 block of South Wright Street. According to their obituary, the three victims were 1-year-old Celeste Long, 7-year-old Kingsville Elementary student Brooklynn Ortiz and their pregnant mother, 24-year-old Isabella Georskey. The fire is under investigation. Vigil attendees included friends and family of the victims, local firefighters, civic leaders and others from Kingsville and the surrounding community. Attendees received pink ribbons, matching Ortiz's favorite color, and could give donations for the victims' family. Buckeye Local Schools Superintendent Patrick Colucci addressed vigil attendants. He said the fire and deaths are an unimaginable tragedy that has weighed on everyone. 'My heartfelt condolences go out to the family,' he said. Colucci was thankful for the people who came to the vigil, and for the work of school staff and administration to help students as they grieve, he said. Kingsville Elementary School Principal Kristi Feather said the loss has been tough on both staff and students. 'We're just trying to support each other day by day,' she said. Kingsville Elementary Parent-Teacher Association President Alexandra Fultz said the news of the tragedy was overwhelming. 'When I heard of this tragedy, I found myself asking 'What can we do?'' she said. 'I cried for several days.' Fultz said she was thankful for the support of Kingsville and surrounding communities. 'Your outpouring of love and support has lifted the hearts of many, and we are grateful,' she said. Former Kingsville Elementary student and Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford led attendees in prayer. 'I want to express my absolute condolences and grace to not only the family, but to this entire community,' he said. Sanford said the victims will be remembered in all of the community's hearts. 'It goes without saying that why we're here tonight speaks to the virtue of our love for those who we've lost this past week, and for those whom we grieve for as one united family, as a community,' he said. Firefighters from Kingsville and surrounding communities, many of whom were at the scene of the fire, attended the vigil. 'We don't ever like losing anyone,' Sheffield Volunteer Fire Department Interim Fire Chief Robert Ocasio said. Community Counseling Center staff were at the vigil, offering support to attendees. 'My staff has been [at Kingsville Elementary] this week, providing services for the students,' said Lilly Claycomb, CCC team lead for school-based services for Buckeye schools. Claycomb said anyone needing CCC support can reach out by calling 440-998-4210. 'If you need help, please reach out,' Claycomb said.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mother's Day apartment building fire kills 4 and critically injures 4 others in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Milwaukee apartment building fire that began in a common area and spread to multiple floors Sunday killed four people and critically injured four others. Several more were treated for lesser injuries in the fire that began sometime before 8 a.m. on Mother's Day. The blaze rendered the 85-unit building uninhabitable, displacing an estimated 200 people, Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said at a news conference. Calls came in that people were trapped and jumping from the four-story building's second floor to escape. The first firefighters to arrive were 'far, far outmatched' by intense flames, Lipski said. Platform fire trucks rescued people from windows while other firefighters went inside, some crawling on hands and knees to get people out, Lipski said. In all, about 30 people were rescued. The cause was unclear but Lipski expressed confidence it would be figured out in time. Built in 1968, the building predated a law that would have required it to have a sprinkler system and was never retrofitted with one, Lipski noted. 'Nobody was required to go back in and make that building fire safe,' Lipski said. "I have four fatalities here today. I'm not sure what people think is more expensive right now.'
