Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 23, 1995 TAG: 9505230103
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Within minutes, flames had devoured the rear portion of the apartment house at 406 Mountain Ave. S.W., including Clements' home.
"Everything I own is probably burned up," she said, seated outside, watching firefighters douse the back of the house with water.
Fellow residents Lewis Payne and Jessica Brown sat beside her. All watched as smoke billowed from the attic.
"At least everyone got out safe," Payne said. "Everything else can be replaced."
Brown cradled a 4-year-old boy in her arms. The boy's hair was singed by the fire, but otherwise he was fine.
"I think he was playing with matches," Clements said of the 4-year-old, whom she was baby-sitting. "He set the back porch on fire."
Clements said she had just finished cleaning her house shortly after noon when she saw the fire and the 4-year-old boy on the back porch. He escaped while she ran to get her 11-month-old baby, who was sleeping in the apartment.
The fire was so hot it melted the vinyl shingles off neighboring houses. It destroyed all but two pieces of Clements' clothing, which she had hung to dry on the porch.
Fire investigators believe the boy accidentally started the fire. Damage to the four-apartment house - two of them vacant - is estimated at $25,000, according to District Fire Chief Phillip Taylor.
Three of the five people who were shot and killed New Year's Day lived in the apartment house. Cynthia LaPrade, Carl Stroop and Daniel Mason resided in a downstairs apartment. They were killed at a neighbor's carriage house on 41/2 Street Southwest.
Earlier Monday, firefighters battled another blaze in Old Southwest, at 505 Woods Ave. Investigators say the fire broke out in the vacant house about 3:30 a.m. They have not determined the cause.
by CNB