Posted Feb. 9, 2010
Authorities have released the name of the girl killed in the fire. She has been identified as 5-year-old Brooke Jacobson.
Original Story Posted Feb. 8, 2010
LANSING, Kan. - Flames took the life of a 5-year-old girl in Lansing Sunday.
According to Fire Chief Rick Huhn, emergency crews were dispatched at 4:37 p.m. to 1005 N. Eighth Street on a report of a fire.
The fire chief says a candle started a fire in her bedroom. Her father is in the hospital after trying to save her life.
Brad Chambers, a neighbor of the family, recounts Sunday afternoon's tragedy, "We was outside and saw the sirens and police cars."
He says the flames were hot and the smoke was black. So dark, in fact, that both the girl's mother and father came out covered in black soot.
The girl's father, a veteran Leavenworth firefighter, tried to battle the blaze but couldn't beat it.
Lansing Fire Chief Rick Huhn says, "Dad smelled smoke. He ran upstairs but was met with heat and smoke from the bedroom and was beaten back."
Huhn says the father tried two more times before firefighters even got to the scene.
After 10 minutes of searching, the girl was found under a bed with a candle. Soon after, she was pronounced dead.
Neighbor Pam Olson says the girl's mother was hysterical, "She says my baby's still in there!"
Initial investigations indicate the fire started in the bedroom. It was sparked by a candle.
Olson warns, "All it takes is one knock of the candle to start a fire."
She describes the little girl as a bubbly blonde who loved to play and ride her bicycle, "It really is a tragedy for them."
Chief Huhn says, "It's been 20 years since we've had a fatality death in Lansing with someone playing with matches."
This call has been rough on the crews who scrambled to save the little girl. The department's offering counseling sessions for those men to help them move forward.
