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Firefighter
Sanders has responded with them but had not returned with them. After further investigation it was determined that another Sansom Park firefighter had showed up on scene in their private vehicle and was using the gear of another firefighter who had become ill in the initial stages of the fire. When accountability reports were initially called for the Sansom Park officer only counted firefighters in Sansom Park gear and did not account for the actual individuals that had responded with them.
248:. The rescue team reported that they could not enter the building due to the worsening conditions. They were instructed to enter from the fellowship hall located on the southeast corner of the building. After entering through the fellowship hall, they located two disoriented firefighters inside. Another accountability check was then ordered after the two were removed from the building. This check concluded that there were still two trapped inside.
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Another crew from River Oaks arrived on scene and began a new search for the missing firefighters. One firefighter was found in the entrance to the offices at the rear of the sanctuary and after making their way further into the office a second firefighter was found. Accountability reports on scene
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Unfortunately during further overhaul the body of a third firefighter was found in the hallway further into the sanctuary. An exhaustive search was begun to try to determine who the third firefighter was. It was not until the Sansom Park Engine returned to their station that they realized that
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As the interior crews started their interior attack of the fire, four firefighters made their way to the roof to begin ventilation operations. While the ladder crews were venting the roof, it collapsed below them. One firefighter landed next to the main entrance after falling through the roof.
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Roberts Cut Off Road in the area of Cowden Street just before 11 A.M. The roof of the church would eventually collapse, trapping five firefighters inside, three of whom would die before they could be rescued. Four firefighters were also on the roof performing ventilation operations when it
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Autopsy reports confirmed that the three firefighters were
Collins and Dean from River Oaks and Sanders from Sansom Park. It was further determined that Gary Sanders was the initial firefighter that was found by Phillip Dean. Brian Collins was the firefighter found later.
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indicated that two firefighters were missing and both were from River Oaks, Brian
Collins and Phillip Dean. It was believed at this time that all missing firefighters has been found and that they were Collins and Dean.
205:. At the same time a Lake Worth water department worker noticed the fire and notified his dispatcher who in turn notified the Lake Worth fire department. With all of the notifications, a total of six
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The fire started in a shed to the northeast of the church. Heavy winds caused the fire to spread to the roof area of the church. Inside the fire spread throughout the enclosed
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The fire started in the shed outside the building to the northeast. The fire was reported as incendiary in nature, with no suspects being arrested as of 2001.
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Another firefighter held onto a wall and was pulled up by the other two firefighters that were on the only part of the roof that didn't collapse.
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has determined that the following significant factors may have contributed to the deaths of the three fire fighters:
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Career firefighter with Fort Worth volunteering at the River Oaks VFD. Wife and three children.
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Career firefighter with Fort Worth volunteering at the River Oaks VFD. Wife and one child.
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in Lake Worth, Texas, and surrounding towns were alerted to a fire in a
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Lack of compatible accountability systems among mutual aid departments
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Lack of a proper building/incident size-up (risk vs. benefit analysis)
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Arson Task Force, Red Cross, and counselors begin to arrive.
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Samson Park Engine E225 & Lake Worth Engine E210 arrive.
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Absence of an established rapid intervention crew (RIC)
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Initially only two firefighters were reported as being
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Building and structure collapses in the United States
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Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS)
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201:under the impression that the fire was in their
581:Building and structure collapses caused by fire
390:Search for three missing fire fighters begins.
197:. The dispatcher then notified the Samson Park
305:Lack of subdivision in combustible attic space
611:Mass murder in the United States in the 1990s
16:1999 fire in Lake Worth, Texas, United States
626:Attacks on buildings and structures in 1999
566:Unsolved mass murders in the United States
561:February 1999 crimes in the United States
601:Attacks on churches in the United States
571:Building and structure collapses in 1999
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495:"NFPA Fire Investigation Report"
185:area. The fire was noticed by a
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44:February 15, 1999
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168:collapsed below them.
145:Lake Worth Church fire
36:Lake Worth Church fire
30:considered for merging
621:1990s crimes in Texas
546:Tarrant County, Texas
616:Mass murder in Texas
147:occurred in 1999 in
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236:Collapse and rescue
97:32.8065°N 97.4117°W
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75:Coordinates
19:‹ The
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488:References
230:River Oaks
195:dispatcher
149:Lake Worth
126:Suspected
88:97°24′42″W
85:32°48′23″N
60:Lake Worth
48:1999-02-15
331:Activity
222:sanctuary
218:handlines
28:is being
476:See also
385:18:00 —
381:12:00 PM
376:11:00 AM
363:10:52 AM
350:10:44 AM
337:10:42 AM
318:Timeline
172:The fire
56:Location
32:. ›
21:template
413:4.11:00
409:2:53 PM
400:2.18:00
396:1:00 PM
387:1.18:00
246:missing
46: (
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436:About
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165:church
134:Deaths
498:(PDF)
367:10:00
226:altar
183:attic
153:Texas
128:arson
123:Cause
64:Texas
430:Name
354:2:00
341:0:00
278:NFPA
143:The
117:Fire
113:Type
41:Date
433:Age
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378:—
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