DATE: Friday, September 26, 1997            TAG: 9709260761

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY CINDY CLAYTON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   60 lines

FIRE KILLS WOMAN, 87; LACK OF SMOKE ALARM PROMPTS AREA SURVEY

An 87-year-old woman died Thursday morning, and a 71-year-old woman was seriously burned, in a fire at a Brambleton home that had no smoke detector, fire officials said.

Ethel Loughton, of the 2300 block of Myrtle Ave., was killed in the blaze, which started in her bedroom at about 3:30 a.m. and consumed her bed before her caretaker could reach her, said Jack Goldhorn, a fire department spokesman.

A neighbor said Loughton was confined to a wheelchair most of the time and was cared for by Essie Armstead, who suffered severe burns when she tried to get into Loughton's bedroom.

Hours after the fatal blaze, firefighters from three stations went door-to-door to learn whether residents had smoke detectors.

Folks who didn't have them had new ones installed free of charge by the firefighters. Those whose detectors had weak or dead batteries were given new ones.

At some houses, like Norfolk State University's Wesley Westminster Campus Ministry, it was just a matter of making sure the battery was properly installed.

``I think they are doing a good thing,'' said Rev. Jan Prentace. ``Because if they can save someone's life, it's definitely worth it.''

By Thursday afternoon, firefighters had installed about 20 smoke detectors and about 30 batteries.

The blaze at Loughton's home was accidental, probably started by an electrical cord lying on a bed, said Don Haupt, director of Norfolk's Fire and Paramedical Services. If there had been a smoke detector, he said, Armstead may have had more time to save Loughton.

Goldhorn said Armstead ``woke up and smelled the smoke and went to the room and the whole bed was on fire. But she couldn't get in the room. . . . The heat was too intense.''

Firefighters responded to the blaze within four minutes of receiving the call and had the blaze out five minutes later, Goldhorn said.

Armstead suffered second-degree burns to her face and on a leg and arm. She was in serious condition in Sentara Norfolk General Hospital Thursday.

The Fire Department installed smoke detectors in Berkley homes in April after two young boys died in a fire there. Hundreds of smoke alarms were donated to the Fire Department at that time.

Haupt said that about 5,000 people live in the Brambleton section. Of those, he said, nearly 600 are age 65 or over.

Goldhorn said firefighters will continue cavassing Brambleton until they have made sure that everyone has a smoke detector. MEMO: The Norfolk Fire Department is accepting donations of smoke

detectors. Anyone who would like to donate the devices is asked to take

them to any fire station. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

IAN MARTIN/The Virginian-Pilot

Fire officials canvassing Norfolk's Brambleton area after a fatal

fire ask the Rev. Jan Prentace for permission to test the smoke

detectors at Norfolk State University's Wesley Westminster Campus

Ministry on Corprew Avenue.

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