Youngstown blaze dramatizes the need for focus on fire safety

Shock and sadness engulf the city of Youngstown and the entire Mahoning Valley as funeral planning begins for three innocent victims who perished Monday morning in one of the city’s deadliest house fires in recent memory.

We, too, mourn the senseless loss of the precious lives — William Schmidt, 63; Judy Schmidt, 61; and their 10-year-old granddaughter Corinne Gump. Judging by the growing makeshift memorial of stuffed animals in front of the home and from comments of friends and neighbors, the Schmidts were hard workers, concerned neighbors, responsible guardians and respected leaders in the deaf community. The fourth-grade child was an adorable, fun-loving girl sadly missed this week at South Range Elementary School.

In the short term, we encourage the community to rally around surviving family members at this unfortunate time to offer any support, guidance and comfort needed.

In the long term, the tragedy calls for all in the Valley to take proactive measures to ensure such a tragedy never recurs. Toward that end, individuals and families must make home fire prevention priority No. 1 today and every day.

FIRE AND TRIAL

The fatal inferno this week — the first in Youngstown this year — is particularly troubling because it broke out the same day that a trial was scheduled to begin for the suspect charged with sexually abusing the young fire victim. As of Tuesday, police and fire officials could find no connection between the fire and the trial. All energies by firefighters, police and prosecutors must be invested toward resolving that mystery conclusively as soon as possible. But city firefighters, 30 of whom fought the vicious blaze, have not found any evidence yet of arson.

Those firefighters, of course, deserve our community’s profound gratitude for their speedy, professional response. One required hospitalization after having fallen through the first floor into the basement in a courageous but unsuccessful attempt to salvage lives.

Although evidence largely points toward an accidental cause of Monday’s South Side fire, that does not lessen the pain of such catastrophic loss. It should, however, heighten the community’s consciousness of the potentially life-saving value of fire prevention tools and techniques.

Although it is still unclear whether the home had functioning smoke detectors, that single tool has proven its worth millions of times over in lives saved. As their use has spread, the grisly toll of fire victims in this country has been significantly reduced. In 1977, 5,865 people lost their lives in structural house fires; in 2013, the U.S. toll tumbled to 3,240 fatalities, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Considering that smoke always precedes a fire, a smoke alarm on every level of a home is one of the best defenses against a major conflagration. Beyond that, homeowners must check their devices at least every two months to see that the batteries are in place and that the unit is in good working condition.

Other safety initiatives, including cooking carefully, monitoring furnaces closely, banning smoking indoors and conducting fire drills regularly can pay off long-term dividends.

As we and the Valley mourn the senseless loss of three vibrant lives today, we also must commit ourselves to adopting simple and ongoing safety precautions in our daily lives. That would serve as a fitting way to memorialize the grievous losses of William, Judy and Corinne.

By doing so, we as a community can learn from this heart-breaking tragedy and vow collectively to never, ever let it happen again.