A wood stove used to heat a mobile home was the likely cause of a fire that killed 5 people, according to the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office. Reports do not mention if the wood stove was defective.
All 5 of the victims of this fire, two of them children, died from smoke inhalation. The victims were the trailer’s owner, his daughter (8), his girlfriend, her son (3) and the owner’s brother. The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office, the Leavenworth Fire Department and the English Fire Department investigated the fire at 1325 East Denton Road near English, Indiana.
If this fire was caused by a defective wood stove, the families have wrongful death claims against the manufacturer. Although there has not been a recent recall of a wood stove, this does not mean that it was not defective. It can take years of reports of injury and death before a manufacturer finally recalls a product. “In every fire case my law firm handles, we look at whether a defective product was the cause of the fire,” said Fred Pritzker. “Manufacturers need to be held accountable when their products cause serious injury and death.”
The families of the 5 victims have set up the Denton Memorial Fund at First Savings Bank to help pay for the funerals and other expenses. To donate money, you can contact First Savings Bank branches in Southern Indiana, primarily the Clarksville branch, at 501 E. Lewis and Clark Parkway.
Our fire lawsuit lawyers would like to pass along a few links to information on wood stove safety: