MAN DIES IN FIRE AT HOMELESS CAMP IN LANCASTER.Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writer A transient who lived in a homeless encampment died Thursday night when a fire in a barrel used for warmth got out of control, fire and sheriff's officials said. The transient, estimated to be about 44 years old, lived with six to eight other men in a makeshift shelter which included mattresses, a sofa and a camper shell A camper shell, sometimes known as a topper or cap, is a small housing or rigid canopy used as a pickup truck accessory. The housing is usually made of fiberglass or aluminum, and is mounted atop the pickup truck's rear bed. , with a 55-gallon metal barrel set in the middle for a fireplace. ``The fire got out of control and set fire to an abandoned camper shell where the man was sleeping,'' said Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County sheriff's Sgt. Noel Lanier. Firefighters sent to the camp - in a field east of the Southern Pacific railroad "Southern Pacific" redirects here. For the country-rock band, see Southern Pacific (band) The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting marks SP) was an American railroad. tracks at Sierra Highway Sierra Highway is a road in Southern California, United States. It runs from Tunnel Station near the north limit of the City of Los Angeles, where it intersects with San Fernando Road and Foothill Boulevard, as well as Interstate 5, and continues north to Mojave, mostly paralleling and Avenue H-8 - just before 10:15 p.m. discovered the man's charred body as they extinguished ex·tin·guish tr.v. ex·tin·guished, ex·tin·guish·ing, ex·tin·guish·es 1. To put out (a fire, for example); quench. 2. To put an end to (hopes, for example); destroy. See Synonyms at abolish. 3. the flames. ``They didn't find him until the fire was completely out,'' fire Capt. George Cruz said. ``He was completely burned and had obvious signs of death.'' Coroner's officials have not been able to positively identify the man and listed him as John Doe John Doe formerly, any plaintiff; now just anybody. [Am. Pop. Usage: Brewer Dictionary, 329] See : Everyman , said Los Angeles County Coroner's Office spokesman Scott Carrier Scott Carrier is an American author and radio producer. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Written work
Paul Tavares, 34, who slept in the bunk bunk, bunker large storage bin. bunk forage forage, usually ensilage stored in a large storage bunk and made available to cattle or other livestock along a face of the storage. below the dead man's, came home at about 2 a.m. Friday to find all his belongings burned and his friend dead. ``I can't believe this happened,'' Tavares said. ``It just went up so fast.'' The dead man, who he knew only as Dwayne, had been in the camper shell while another man slept on the sofa outside. ``My other friend tried to help him escape,'' Tavares said. ``He tried to bring him out with him, but Dwayne wouldn't give him his hand. He must have been too drunk. ``I guess I was lucky I wasn't here,'' Tavares said. ``Otherwise I would be dead, too.'' Tavares said that Dwayne, who was missing three fingers on one hand and had a piece of metal put into his leg to repair a broken bone, had lived at the encampment for five or six months and was drunk most of the time. ``He broke his leg when he was drunk on the street and was hit by a car,'' Tavares said. ``He's had his share of bad luck.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (ran in AV edition only--color) A fire in a metal drum at a transients' encampment in Lancaster got out of control, killing a man Thursday, authorities reported. Jeff Goldwater/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion