THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996 TAG: 9602280491
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: CATHERINE KOZAK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: KITTY HAWK LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
A 10-year-old girl suffered serious burns early Tuesday when she dashed back into her burning home to rescue a doll.
Fire officials said Jessica Parsons had escaped without injury before fire engulfed the house, but apparently returned to retrieve a Barbie doll. Investigators at the scene were told she was forced to jump from a window to save herself.
She was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital burn unit by medical helicopter. She was reported in serious but stable condition at 5 p.m. Tuesday with second-degree burns on 26 percent of her body.
The girl's mother, Doreen Parsons, and three siblings were not hurt. The four-bedroom wood frame at 4904 Lunar Drive was destroyed, officials said.
The family was out of the house when a patroling police officer spotted smoke and flames at the residence at 12:05 a.m. He alerted the Kitty Hawk Fire Department, Fire Chief Lowell Spivey said. Kill Devil Hills and Southern Shores firefighters helped battle the blaze. The fire was under control within half an hour, Spivey said.
The neighboring house at 4900 Lunar Drive had a portion of its siding melted off by the heat of the flames, officials said.
Spivey said no further details were available about how or why Jessica went back into the house. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
In an unrelated fire, a one-story house in Manns Harbor burned to the ground Monday, fire officials said. Carol and Steve Armstrong were not at their Shipyard Road home when the fire started at 5:20 p.m., Manns Harbor firefighter Jeff Gard said. The house is owned by Susan Courington of Manteo. The blaze was put out in about two hours with the assistance of the Roanoke Island Fire Department, Gard said. No injuries were reported. County Fire Marshall Doug Remaley said the fire is under investigation.
KEYWORDS: FIRES INJURIES by CNB