4 Dead, 3 Hurt in Boarding Home Fire

A predawn fire raged swiftly through a 50-year-old boarding home Thursday, killing four men--including two who never got out of their beds--and injuring three others who jumped out of windows.

Ten other occupants--nine men and a woman--escaped unharmed, awakened by the shrieking alarms of smoke detectors.

City officials said most of the occupants were people receiving public assistance. Investigators said the fire erupted about 3:30 a.m. in the living room of the two-story, 13-room Victorian-style home; it shot up through a wall and quickly spread through the second floor and attic, trapping the victims.

Despite 50-mph winds, the fire was confined to the wood-sided structure by about two dozen firefighters--some of whom were at another home fire just a block away and saw the flames at the same time a 911 call was received.

Firefighters were hampered in their rescue attempts by a downed power line alongside the house. Once they got inside, it was too late to do any good, said San Bernardino Fire Department spokesman Tom Rubio. The firefighters were forced to retreat just moments before part of the roof collapsed.

One of the dead men was found on the floor next to his bed on the first floor. Another was found in the hallway at the top of the stairs, and two others died in the beds of their shared upstairs room, Rubio said.

The cause of the deadly blaze was under investigation, but a frequent source of fires--Christmas trees--was discounted because the only holiday decorations at the home were a front-door wreath and outdoor lights, said the manager of the boarding home’s sister facility two blocks away.

“I knew them all,” said Austin Shoemaker, the manager of the nearby facility, where the survivors of the fire congregated. “Everyone is just stunned. They were all like one big family, and some had known each other for years.”

The names of the dead were not released pending confirmation of their identities and notification of family.

Three occupants of the home were being treated for serious injuries at the San Bernardino County Medical Center. Ronald Hill, 49, and Myron Smith, 33, were in critical condition after surgery, and Jim Myer, 40, was in guarded and stable condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

All three suffered burns and smoke inhalation, and Hill broke an ankle after he jumped from a second-floor window. The other two injured people escaped through a first-floor window and suffered cuts. The home had been inspected for fire safety by the San Bernardino City Fire Department in February and passed, Rubio said.

The privately run boarding home had fire extinguishers, but the fire spread too quickly for them to be of any use, officials said. The first firefighters on the scene heard the wailing smoke alarms as they pulled up, Rubio said.

Jessica Hull, 28, who lives three homes away, said she was awake at the time the fire began and heard the screaming of men pouring out onto the street.

“It was horrid screaming, and I looked out back and saw the flames,” Hull said. “I could see the flames and red smoke and the wind was blowing really hard.”

Neighbors said the home had been used as a private room-and-board facility for at least 10 years. Rubio said the number of occupants did not violate city law.

Occupants typically paid about $125 or $150 a week for room and meals, said Shoemaker.