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Fatal Clairton Fire 'Tragic Accident'

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Nov 4, 2009 8:46 pm US/Eastern

Fatal Clairton Fire 'Tragic Accident'

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Investigators say a fire that killed three young children in Clairton was a tragic accident.

Flames raced through the home, trapping Rachel Finn, 9, Deausha Faulk, 6, and Michael Zigler, 2, in their beds.

"It was smoke everywhere. They didn't even get a chance to wake up, because the officer told us when he went in there to get them, they were still asleep," Angel Harris, a neighbor, said.

After more than a week of investigation, Allegheny County Fire Marshal Bob Full says the fire started in the kitchen.

"There was cooking in progress in the kitchen and it was essentially an unintended stove fire," he said.

But tragically, it appears that whoever discovered the fire made the mistake of trying to fight it and without a fire extinguisher or pan lid tried to douse the burning oil with water which investigators believe resulted in massive flames and billowing smoke.

A smoke detector recovered from the apartment deployed as designed as did at least two others. But the problem is the smoke and fire advanced too quickly for the people inside to save the others.

Full says the tragic lesson to be learned is not to put water on burning oil or grease. But more importantly, don't waste time fighting the fire at all.

"Get everybody as quickly [as possible] out, don't waste any time even trying to put the fire out, just get everybody and get everybody out of the house as quickly as possible," he said.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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