Scars remain a constant reminder of upholstered furniture's danger
HIDDEN KILLER
By Glenn Smith
LAKE CITY — Wallace Graham shuffled to a couch in his living room, his breath coming in short, raspy wheezes. He slowly loosened the buttons of his dress shirt to reveal skin mottled, stained and ropy with scar tissue.
Video
Fire-Safety standards
Greenville attorney Robin Foster discusses the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's failure to adopt fire-safety standards for upholstered furniture for the past three decades. Foster has never seen a lawsuit involving upholstered furniture fires go before a jury.
At age 58, Graham's body is a wreck, his lungs scarred and damaged.
Graham, a former construction worker, was asleep in his mobile home April 27, 2005, when a lit candle tumbled from a wall sconce onto an upholstered sofa. By the time he woke and alerted his wife, the living room had erupted in flames.
At the time, Graham knew little about the flammability of upholstered furniture, the toxic gases emitted when its foam stuffing burns or the debate that has raged for years about setting fire-safety standards for its production
But he was about to learn.
It was 2:30 a.m. when the fire started. Graham and his wife, Dorothy, had lit candles after they lost power that night. He meant to blow them out before he went to sleep, but he dozed off after chatting with his wife in the bedroom.
"Something woke me up. It must have been the Lord," Graham said. "I ran back and I said, 'Get up. The house is on fire!' "
The Post and Courier
Wallace Graham was left with scars after he escaped the fire that destroyed his and his wife, Dorothy's, home.
As they made their way into the living room, they saw the fire had spread to a chair and climbed the walls.
"That chair was burning that whole wall," Dorothy Graham recalled. "Everything was black. It was just popping."
"I've never seen a chair burn that fast," Wallace Graham said, shaking his head. "I will never forget that."
Dorothy Graham screamed as she ran, trying to wake their 17-year-old son, Terrance, whose room was on the other side of the flames. She reached the front door and wrenched it open, her hair smoking as she jumped from the porch to safety. Air rushed into the home. The flames intensified.
The Post and Courier
Dorothy Graham, whose house was destroyed in a fire, remembers how her furniture in her house burned.
Dorothy Graham raced to Terrance's window and began banging on the glass. A moment later, the high school running back came crashing through the window like a freight train.
Still inside, Wallace Graham coughed and stumbled through the thick, black smoke that swirled around him as he made his way into his bedroom, trying to find a way out. He found a window and yanked. It wouldn't budge.
"I started praying. That's the only thing I could do. I said, 'Lord, I know I haven't been good all my life. I'm asking if it is your will to save me.' "
A voice in his head told him to kick, so he did, as hard as he could. He heard the sound of glass cracking just before his head filled with darkness and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Read more in our special report
Firefighters found Graham on the floor, his body covered by a large bedroom mirror that had fallen on him. The flames and heat had seared one-fifth of his body, leaving him with third-degree burns across his shoulders, second-degree burns on his face. His home was a total loss.
Graham spent weeks in the Augusta burn center, where doctors grafted thigh and leg skin onto his back and shoulders. He then spent a month in a rehabilitation center, using a walker to get around.
Related story
Mom talks of desperate attempt to flee flames, loss of 2 children published 6/8/09
The Grahams sued the maker of the chair and a matching sofa and love seat that also caught fire, alleging that the furniture lacked fireproofing and was inherently dangerous. The furniture maker denied the claims but settled out of court late last year for an undisclosed amount.
The couple is now in a new home, and Graham's burns have healed. But the scars remain, both mental and physical. He has pain in his left leg and gets winded easily. He sometimes wakes in the night, memories of the fire flooding back.
Graham will never forget.
"Every time I take off my shirt, there is a reminder there."
Former Post and Courier reporter Ron Menchaca contributed to this story.
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly version
Comments
rednose (anonymous) says...
what a stupid premise....if your too brain dead to blow out the candles you can expect anything
June 8, 2009 at 5:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
issuetaker (anonymous) says...
I'm sorry he was injured, but he did it himself. It's not someone else's fault. He is the responsible party.
June 8, 2009 at 6:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jifdeng3 (anonymous) says...
Its always someone elses fault! Dont you know! Sheesh!! (sarcasm)
June 8, 2009 at 6:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
I regret his injury and those of others. It is time to bite the bullet and ban upholstered furniture.
June 8, 2009 at 6:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lillycollette (anonymous) says...
Blaming a victim is the lowest form of abuse known to man.
June 8, 2009 at 7:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drp7773 (anonymous) says...
Yeah lets only sell cement furniture, mmmmm no can't do that either someone would forget they drank too much and trip and hit their heads on the furniture and sue becuase the cement is too hard.
June 8, 2009 at 7:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
PoliGadfly (anonymous) says...
He'd have sued if there'd been dried grass hanging on a cement block he was using for a chair, if it had caught fire.
June 8, 2009 at 7:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlestt (anonymous) says...
Why is this in the news? What is the story, chairs and fabric burn? Thanks P&C, I never would have known about the oxygenation of those materials. Good stuff!
Who payed the hospital bills on this one? Now that's a story.
June 8, 2009 at 7:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
taxedstupid (anonymous) says...
The answer is sooo simple
FIRE SPRINKLERS
June 8, 2009 at 7:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlestt (anonymous) says...
You must be stupid. You want to have high pressure water systems installed in trailerable domiciles? Did you even read the jibberish above or just the comments by the proleteriate?
June 8, 2009 at 7:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BulldogTLC (anonymous) says...
I'm sure the manufacturer meant to fireproof the furniture but dozed off before they could complete all of their responisibilties..... If you leave a candle lit and go to sleep, it's no else's fault if your house burns down. Sorry that it happened, but it's not the furniture's fault....
June 8, 2009 at 8:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hln051305 (anonymous) says...
The furniture is support to be flame resistance and many companies forget this. They would rather pay if something happen than make product that are safe. I pray that they had to pay a substantial amount of money for their negligent. Family need to make sure that their furniture's are indeed flame resistances it's a matter of life or death.
June 8, 2009 at 8:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BulldogTLC (anonymous) says...
There are currently no requirements for furniture to be fire resistant in any state other than California. Not saying there shouldn't be, just stating facts.
http://www.firemarshals.org/data/File...
June 8, 2009 at 8:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oldglory (anonymous) says...
Seems to me, we all should be wondering about Mr. Foster's position that he's "never seen a lawsuit involving upholstered furniture fires go before a jury."
If this is a true posit, our question should be why.
June 8, 2009 at 8:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
Such angry people the A.M. At any rate, he was the root cause of the fire because he didn't blow the candle out before he fell asleep. This is yet another story on the way to the Charleston 9.
June 8, 2009 at 8:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
GermanyXO (anonymous) says...
"I've never seen a chair burn that fast," Wallace Graham said, shaking his head. "I will never forget that."
Hopefully, Mr. Graham, new laws will ensure that materials used to make home furnishings include inner layers of material known to be excellent flame retardants. My co-workers and I wish you a speedy recovery.
June 8, 2009 at 8:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
If you go to sleep with an open flame in your house, then it doesn't really matter what the composition is of anything in the house, now does it. Has anyone checked to see whether personal deodorant is fire retardant. Seems like I read somewhere that all of this fire retardant stuff is so pervasive that it has become harmful to us.
June 8, 2009 at 8:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
So the government should regulate and force the companies to make the furniture fire-proof, which would drive up costs of the furniture for people that are smart enough to blow out the candles at night. Let's protect people from their mistakes again.
Maybe we could make fire-proof cigarettes so they don't fall on the couch and start a fire, or even fire-proof candles so you don't have to remember to blow them out.
June 8, 2009 at 8:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
GermanyXO (anonymous) says...
Who wants to guess how many idiots put a burning candle on a wall sconce, above something that is known to burn when exposed to fire?
If this family practiced fire safety, then everyone in that mobile home should have considered placing a burning candle in a secure, stable platform; which strikes me as a task every other intelligent person would do.
You put unlit candles on a birthday cake, light them, and blow them out.
Does anyone leave candles burning on a birthday cake and decide to go to sleep?
theronce & nopartisan_noproblem: Make a law to make something idiot proof and idiots will educate a better idiot.
June 8, 2009 at 9 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CHRISJIII (anonymous) says...
Sorry that this happened to this family, but glad that they are ok.
June 8, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlestt (anonymous) says...
How long are we going to just sit here while things that can burn are left unattended by the government?
June 8, 2009 at 9:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
majorjohnson (anonymous) says...
He should sue the Lord for just waking him up instead of putting out the fire! Heck, if the Lord had just put the candle out for him this wouldn't have happened at all. For an omnipotent being he sure has lousy timing.
June 8, 2009 at 10:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
majorjohnson (anonymous) says...
Also, did you notice he was trying to kick a window out and when the firefighters found him he was laying under a large mirror? Sounds like the Lord led him to a mirror, told him it was a window and to kick it, then knocked it over on top of him. The Lord sure does work in mysterious ways.
June 8, 2009 at 10:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mattcofc (anonymous) says...
I feel that the candle should have been taken to court and sued for attempted murder. It had motive and opportunity. I feel bad for this guy, I really do, but he is responsible for the fire not the furniture manufacturer. I really do not expect my couch to serve as a life raft of safety in room full of fire. I understand why the furniture company settled out of court because juries these days are apt to dole out someone else's cash just because somebody got hurt. Call me a cold hearted SOB but I believe it is 100% this guy's own fault.
June 8, 2009 at 10:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SpongeMunkie (anonymous) says...
Sofas are evil. Its a well known fact that they have conspired to destroy the human race.
June 8, 2009 at 10:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BulldogTLC (anonymous) says...
I agree 100% matt... the problem is that everyone is trying to get what they feel they are entitled to regardless of the actions that led to their situation.
June 8, 2009 at 10:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ltgrunt (anonymous) says...
He should have put out the candle before falling asleep, and the lawsuit - like so many others these days - is purely frivolous. Neither of those two points are up for debate, and I don't think anyone is seriously arguing against them.
Still, the furniture manufacturer should build their goods to higher standards. Think of all the heat that Pontiac took over the Fiero being a fire trap back in the 80's. Even putting aside the moral questions of building unsafe products, it's just bad business; sooner or later you'll run out of customers because they're either all mad at/boycotting you or they're all dead.
Whatever company made his living room set, maybe it's time they look into using less flammable, less toxic materials, or at least using some sort of flame-retardant chemical coating.
"Maybe we could make fire-proof cigarettes so they don't fall on the couch and start a fire"
I'm not a smoker, Nopartisan, so I can't be sure, but I think the tobacco companies already make those. I seem to recall something about them being made, but people don't like them because they won't stay lit and they have a funky aftertaste. Still, all things considered I think if I were in the tobacco industry I'd probably start with researching a cigarette that doesn't cause cancer and leave the whole fire thing for another day.
June 8, 2009 at 10:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Speaking of building to a higher standard, ok, I'll bite. But, where do you stop. Maybe they can build them with a sideboard too to keep one from rolling off in one's sleep and breaking one's fool neck.
June 8, 2009 at 10:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
"After exhaustive research as to why folks like you insist on posting mindless drivel, my conclusion is you touch yourself too much."
Harold, thank you so much for clarifying your reason for you posting here!
June 8, 2009 at 10:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ltgrunt (anonymous) says...
If a furniture manufacturer wants to build a couch that's equipped to deal with any and all possible mishaps, that's their choice, Theronce. I imagine the thing would be abjectly expensive, unwieldy and hard to get through a doorway, but if that's what they want to build and what consumers want, then that's that.
But we're not really talking about such an exaggerated, unrealistic example, are we? We're talking about how maybe this furniture manufacturer should consider making something that doesn't go up like a roman candle and billow chlorine gas when it catches fire.
June 8, 2009 at 10:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
flinsc (anonymous) says...
This guy must be loaded. He has a replica full scale Jabba the Hutt on his couch.
June 8, 2009 at 11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scgamecocksgirl1975 (anonymous) says...
While this is a terrible accident, it is not the furniture manufactors fault. Mr. Graham fell asleep with a candle lit and should not have been rewarded for his negliance. These types of cases will not stop until the system stops them.
June 8, 2009 at 11:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fred_durst1 (anonymous) says...
the government (FAA) already requires that all materials in aircraft seats be flame resistant. So saying that sofas burn duh... doesn't really cut it.
I can't remember if this is part of a series or not but what the story should focus on is WHY furniture isn't required to be flame resistant.
June 8, 2009 at 11:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
devilsadvocate77 (anonymous) says...
All these comments have tired me out. Think I will go lay down and take a quick nap on my flameproof stone couch. Signed Fred Flintstone.
June 8, 2009 at 11:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
LOL! Harold, you are always good for a laugh. Thanks for being the town fool, court jester, class clown, et al! Have a great day and good luck with the therapy "thang". I pray it works out for you. How did "Small Members Anonymous" work for ya? Did they just have you buy a Jag to compensate?!!!
June 8, 2009 at 11:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
"I can't remember if this is part of a series or not but what the story should focus on is WHY furniture isn't required to be flame resistant." -fred durst
I disagree. I think the story should focus on how we reward people for their mistakes and blame the companies that are making products and services available to people that have the oppurtunity to not use a product if it is not up to their standards, instead of the government's.
How about we take heed to these events and as educated consumers, do not buy from this company or products made similarly. Instead of relying on the government to take care of our laziness and ignorance furthering the notion that we are drones and can't take care of ourselves. This would allow the free market to kick in and the tried and true economic law would force these companies to bring their products up to the consumers standards based on less demand of a sub-par and dangerous product (due to user error).
This I also think would limit price increase, due to the competetive pricing aspect. If we forced the regulation of it, every company would just raise their prices, say $50.
If those prices increase out of the capability for someone in the lower class to purchase, then we have to send out a government coupon. Because we all know everyone deserves a leather couch, especially one that won't burn no matter how hard you try.
June 8, 2009 at 11:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mattcofc (anonymous) says...
Hey fred_durst1, do you enjoy sitting on airline seat cushions? I for one do not wish to enjoy the relative comfort of business economy class on Air Uganda in my living room. I rather prefer my comfy and probably flammable couch, so I guess I'll just make sure not to nap with any candles lit in the vicinity of my deathtrap couch.
June 8, 2009 at 11:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
I need a new couch very badly. I think I will set mine on fire and observe the burn rate. Ya think the insurance company would compensate me for conducting a scientific experiment?
Better yet, I will blame it on the dog. He just will not stop smoking while he lounges on it.
June 8, 2009 at 11:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fred_durst1 (anonymous) says...
My point was in reference to those asserting that a couch going up in flames in no time flat was just the way it is.....not the case.
nopart -
you want the story to focus on something else...congratulations. Good luck with that theory of the free market sorting EVERYTHING out. Try that with the transportation industry for one and watch planes drop out of the sky as the free market takes over and airlines start cutting corners.
Matt - No where in my post did I say I wanted an airline cushion for a couch. Numerous factors contribute to the lack of comfort in an airline seat not just the cushion.
So I guess the next poster will claim they would rather pay more for a less comfortable couch as long as Big Brother isn't involved.
June 8, 2009 at 12:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Luna (anonymous) says...
Then why do we have infant wear that is flame retardant?
Think people.....why do we have regulations on tires? (Don't you know it is dangerous to drive) Why do we have regulations on baby toys? (it's the baby's fault if it puts it in their mouth) Why do we have regulations on crib slats? (it's the child fault if they get their head stuck) Why do we have regulations in what we allow in our foods? (stupid people should know that potato chips are bad for you)
We have regulations to keep manufacturers honest and to make sure they do not behave like the ones we see in China today. Greed - it has to be Satan's favorite sin!
June 8, 2009 at 12:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mattcofc (anonymous) says...
Most people don't know but when you Scotchguard a couch or a chair to protect it from stains, you are spraying a flammable substance on there that while it blocks stains it acts as an accelerant during a fire.
June 8, 2009 at 12:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mkhaynes (anonymous) says...
Alright, obviously none of you (save fred durst and a couple others) read the story yesterday. It's not just people leaving candles burning when they fall asleep - it's people having candles within close proximity of upholstered furniture, or any other heat source for that matter. It's not that the furniture is flammable, it's that there are politicians in the pocket of the furniture lobby who have blocked legislation to require furniture companies to add chemicals (that have been proven safe by chemists) to keep furniture from turning into torches in a matter of seconds.
So, did everyone who has commented about this guy basically deserving what he got not read the story yesterday - the story about a girl who got caught in a house where the couch caught on fire b/c of an electrical short and eventually died? People need to think before they judge others. Or just think.
June 8, 2009 at 12:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
"We have regulations to keep manufacturers honest and to make sure they do not behave like the ones we see in China today."
Luna, although I still feel this guy should have blown the candle out prior to going to sleep (not saying that I have never left one burning. I just would never blame the sofa manufacturer if my couch were to burn due to my negligence), the point about companies cutting corners and not making sure the products they distribute is a poitn well made and taken. We do need regs in some regards because there are those greedy people who will do everything to make sure there is more money on their bottom line.
mkhaynes, the fact still remains that the gentleman left a candle burning unattended. It is sad that the government would not require this chemical to be added to the furniture (and I think it should be), but people need to take some responsibility for their actions. And I am not saying by any means that the guy deserved being burned. I am just saying that the onus should have been on him in this regard. Could having the chemical in the sofa kept the guy from lighting a candle and falling asleep? No!
With that thinking we could blame the alcohol company when Billy drinks, drives, and gets into an accident that kills someone. We could also blame the car manufacturer for not making said vehicle "accident proof". I know this is extreme, but I said that to say, regulations are good, but there is a such thing as too much government.
June 8, 2009 at 1:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Luna (anonymous) says...
Hey, why not have a sobriety test car? I'm pretty sure they already have the device.
June 8, 2009 at 1:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
512c (anonymous) says...
If it had been a HEMP couch it wouldn't have burst into flame! We need to LEGALIZE
June 8, 2009 at 1:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BlackReign (anonymous) says...
unatteded candle, falls and starts fir...hmmm yep not his fault.
Posted by flinsc on June 8, 2009 at 11 a.m.
"This guy must be loaded. He has a replica full scale Jabba the Hutt on his couch."
Side splitting LMAO!
June 8, 2009 at 1:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Luna (anonymous) says...
Ugly people! And I'm talking about yalls' souls not the sac-o-skin you wear around!
June 8, 2009 at 1:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
To answer all your questions Luna.
Why do we have regulations on baby toys? (it's the baby's fault if it puts it in their mouth)- No it's the parents fault for either not monitoring their children and/or paying enough attention to assembly and/or size of what they are buying for their children.
Why do we have regulations on crib slats? (it's the child fault if they get their head stuck) No, once again it's the parents fault. Why would any parent buy crib slats that their kid could get their head stuck in? I feel bad the kids today when our government has to make sure this doesn't happen.
Why do we have regulations in what we allow in our foods? (stupid people should know that potato chips are bad for you) Exactly right. If you are concerned with what you are eating, only buy foods that tell you what is in them. If enough people stop buying food that doesn't tell the ingredients, every food would come with printed ingredients.
why do we have regulations on tires? (Don't you know it is dangerous to drive) It is dangerous to drive. If you are going to purchase new tires, do some research and find out who's got the best tires. Find which company's products match your standards.
As for Fred. If a plane falls out of the sky, obviously killing people on board. There would have to be a full investigation done and once it showed the reason was due to "cutting corners", if you have any string of intelligence you would never use that company. That company would shut down. Other companies would say that it is not good for business to cut those same corners, and they would take the long way around those "corners" to prevent their business from failing. Free market prevails, sorry.
But I do see your point. Here in America we do need all of the regulations. We have to protect the stupid from their own stupidity. We have to protect the uneducated consumer due to their ignorance and laziness. Because if you can't take care of yourself, you know who will.
mkhaynes- i agree with you to an extent. Sometimes in these situations it is not the victim's fault. But that doesn't mean it is the manufacturers fault either. I do feel bad for them, but sometimes you don't get to blame somebody else. You are the consumer. Buyer beware.
June 8, 2009 at 1:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fred_durst1 (anonymous) says...
Computer - $900
Internet Service - $29.95
Cup of Coffee - $1.95
Knuckle heads posting on the P&C website - PRICELESS!
June 8, 2009 at 1:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BulldogTLC (anonymous) says...
i say if anything, it was the candle manufacturer's fault... Why didn't they make a candle that would only burn for a limited amount of time with being relit? Or if they are going to make a candle that can burn all night, they should be required to make it tip proof.... Americans need to take responibility for their own actions and quit relying on the government to take care of them. Some regulations are necessary, but there is absolutely no need for government to be involved in every part of your life. Think for yourself, do some research on your own, and make informed decisions. It's that simple!
June 8, 2009 at 1:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JDHawg (anonymous) says...
where were the fire/smoke detectors no one seem to mention anything about them? doesn't the fire dept. hand out free ones?
June 8, 2009 at 1:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
"Why do we have regulations on baby toys? (it's the baby's fault if it puts it in their mouth)- No it's the parents fault for either not monitoring their children and/or paying enough attention to assembly and/or size of what they are buying for their children."
nopartisan_noproblem, I believe Luna is speaking about the dangerous substances that are used to make the toys, i.e. lead paint, and not the actual size. Luna, correct me if I am wrong in my assertion, please.
June 8, 2009 at 1:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
But bulldog, we don't have time to research what could apparently, possibly kill us or our children. We got football and American idol to watch. We pay taxes so we don't have to think. We leave the thinkin up to the big guys, silly.
June 8, 2009 at 1:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mattcofc (anonymous) says...
I have a bad feeling that 10 years from the government will have to appoint a person for each citizen to make sure they don't swallow their own tongue if we keep going at this rate.
June 8, 2009 at 1:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
To that point Lovely One, I say read into a company and see if their products have caused any harm. Only buy from trusted brands. Do what is necessary to protect your children.
June 8, 2009 at 1:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HardWorker (anonymous) says...
If it weren't for global warming, the power probably wouldn't have gone out, and he wouldn't have needed to light a candle. It's all George Bush's fault!
June 8, 2009 at 1:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
BulldogTLC (anonymous) says...
You're right nopartisan_noproblem - Silly me, I don't know what I was thinking. Funny the people that will research why a certain contestant won American Idol (just an example) but won't put forth any effort to make sure the products they buy are safe.... priorities people.
June 8, 2009 at 1:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
majorjohnson (anonymous) says...
The federal government mandated fireproof retardants in children's clothes, and now they've found the retardants are cancer causing agents. Thank goodness for nanny government.
They also mandate fire retardants be added to cigarette tobacco. When burned it produces many of the chemicals the anti-smoking folks put in the list of chemicals found in second hand smoke.
June 8, 2009 at 2:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
nopartisan_noproblem, I agree with you wholeheartedly. My husband and I research just about everything from the safest bottles to the safest teething rings to the best clothing to buy, but realistically not every parent will do that for one reason or another. People put their trust in the fact that companies will do the right thing and make safe, quality products.
June 8, 2009 at 2:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CWL922 (anonymous) says...
Why didn't he sue the candlemaker? The candle is where the fire started. Maybe he should sue the person who lit the candle and left it unattended. That would be a better idea, but there seems to be a lack of smarts there somewhere.
June 8, 2009 at 2:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
Lovely One, you are a smart and responsible parent. You are doing your job as a parent and consumer by taking all of the precautionary steps. And as you say "realistically not every parent will do that for one reason or another." If because of that reason or another, the child is harmed, that should fall on the parents. They should be blamed and punished. Not the manufacturers. We should not have to be protected from ourselves. That only decreases the incentive to make intelligent choices.
Next thing you know they'll be giving out free food to people who have kids and for one reason or another don't go out and make money to buy it themselves. Oh Wait...
June 8, 2009 at 2:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
non_noprob, thanks for the compliment. My husband and I do the best we can to make sure our children are safe and that they, too grow up to be responsible adults. Heck we had our boys research their basketballs and we helped the girls research their Easy Bake Oven before buying them.
I am always looking at the consumer reports and reading the "recall notices" so that I am aware of the problem products. We even "research" the children that hang around my kids. If they seem "faulty" they have got to go! People around me call me paranoid and the "mean mom", but if that's what it takes to make sure my children are okay, then so be it.
June 8, 2009 at 2:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fyrefighter273 (anonymous) says...
JDhawg brought up my question what about detectors? How old was this mobile home? Is it in building code somewhere? Why did the owner not buy a couple? Not a priority I am sure. Yes grants are out there for free detectors for departments, and you can even from time to time get them from a truck, what are a person's priorities. Some of the comments posted here are great I often think of how many preventable fires I have responded to throughout the years. nopartisan, I agree we should not be protected from ourselves........but........I cite the owners manual for a motor home my father-in-law owns, warning the operator not to watch tv while driving, not to leave vehicle unattended while in operation, why is that in there? We have become a society of entitleds we are owed something no matter what we do to the contrary of common sense, can you imagine being at a wreck and seeing the "injured" party calling lawyers, or even worse at the fire ground and seeing the same thing happen before we go.
June 8, 2009 at 3:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlestt (anonymous) says...
Lovely_One,
Is that your self image? If people around you call you paranoid and the mean mom, maybe you should listen to them. As for sitting around reading recall notices, I think that speaks volumns about your "type". I remember kids with mothers like you. They didn't turn out well(the kids).
June 8, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
taxedstupid (anonymous) says...
Posted by taxedstupid on June 8, 2009 at 7:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The answer is sooo simple
FIRE SPRINKLERS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by charlestt on June 8, 2009 at 7:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You must be stupid. You want to have high pressure water systems installed in trailerable domiciles? Did you even read the jibberish above or just the comments by the proleteriate?
----------------------------------------
I am not stupid at all...in fact I am an expert in this particular field
First the water in the sprinkler system is not "high pressure" it is no more pressure than the regular domestic water
Then the next point that you obvisously don't comprehend is that the system would have put the fire out in its incepient stage (that means when it first starts for you charles)
Actually there are many modular and mobile home manufacturers that are planning to offer fire sprinklers in their products because of their unsurpassed ability to save lives as well as the decreased cost of installation for the systems due to new technology.
Lastly, its not just the upholstery or furniture but rather the fact that every new or old home is full of fire fuel and it is wasnt the sofa then it would have been the curtains or maybe the carpet etc. etc. It is a fact that the contents of modern day homes have reduced the escape time due to their high flamability and toxic chemical fumes.
As far as accusing me of being stupid I am patiently awaiting your retraction
Like I said the answer is sooo simple FIRE SPRINKLERS...(not a simple as you charlestt but simple none the less)
June 8, 2009 at 5:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Pinckney (anonymous) says...
Anyone think that maybe this isn't a morality tale - just a cautionary story about not falling asleep with candles burning - or smoking in bed?
June 8, 2009 at 6:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KING (anonymous) says...
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS GENTLEMAN AND THE LADY FROM MCDONALD'S? YOU PEOPLE AMAZE ME! SHE SUED MCDONALD'S HE SUED THE FURNITURE MANUFACTURER. OH, I KNOW.....
June 8, 2009 at 11:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
"Lovely_One,
Is that your self image?"
charlestt, no, that is not MY self image at all. If you had paid attention you would have read that is what other people see. Mainly because they are not accustomed to checking out products before they purchase them or having their kids check them. And they don't "check out" their kids' friends the way that I do.
MY self image is that of a responsible adult and parent who is raising my children to be just that, responsible.
June 9, 2009 at 8:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Dharma (anonymous) says...
Posted by flinsc
"This guy must be loaded. He has a replica full scale Jabba the Hutt on his couch."
Posted by BlackReign on June 8, 2009 at 1:14 p.m.
"unatteded candle, falls and starts fir...hmmm yep not his fault.
"This guy must be loaded. He has a replica full scale Jabba the Hutt on his couch."
Side splitting LMAO!"
flinsc and BlackReign you both should be ashamed of yourselves!!! Two suave and erudite people such as yourselves shouldn't look down their perfect noses at others just because they are less attractive than yourselves. Not everyone can be as perfect as you think you are!
I am sure Mr & Mrs Graham have suffered enough because of their ability to be human. In other words, they made a mistake. A costly mistake certainly.
I read the other stories pertaining to the fireproofing of furniture, but honestly, can you make anything fireproof? Everything has a flash point doesn't it?
I will allow that if the furniture had some sort of protection it may not have caught fire it would have just smoldered, but what sort of fumes is being made while the upholstery smolders? Maybe by just smoldering the chair or sofa wouldn't have caught the rest of the dwelling as quickly, but I doubt that.
If anything is to blame for the severity of the fire (besides human error) could it possibly be the makers of the trailer? I have seen some specs of the older trailer homes, their "insulation" was nothing more than styrofoam! If this was an older trailer could another reason for the quickness of the wall fire was the fire caught the styrofoam insulation?
We do not live in a perfect world. We cannot insulate ourselves from every danger nor can we go through life afraid of everything. We cannot wake up in the mornings afraid of how much pet dander or dust mites we inhaled in our sleep or worry if the piece of furniture we bought will kill us one day because it burst into flames. You can say that common sense tells us to blow out candles before going to sleep, but how many of us have done just that. Fallen asleep with something on. A TV, a radio, the oven. Perhaps those things aren't as dangerous as a burning candle, but you never know do you? Perhaps too much load in your fuse box makes it short or spark and it starts an electrical fire. Should we be judging you and saying, "It is your own fault your house burned down because you fell asleep with the TV on while it shorted your electrical box!"
Common sense is an endangered sense these days and seeing as I am a human and capable of making mistakes, I am not judging anyone.
It was a hard lesson for the Graham's to learn and I am sure the "understanding" and the "love" expressed by flinsc and BlackReign will go a long way in the Graham's recovery.
As for me, I wish the Graham's many blessings.
June 10, 2009 at 11:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Dharma (anonymous) says...
Lovely_One, you do what you need to do to keep your kids safe. It is called being a responsible parent. You should check into the kids that hang around your kids. You never know these days.
June 10, 2009 at 11:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full Terms and Conditions.
Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up!
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- Shared
- No weapons or explosives found in SUV on Ravenel Bridge
- McKissick wins high school coach of the year award from NFL
- Man in Ravenel Bridge incident cited for reckless driving
- High Speed Chase Dashcam
- Tax refund delay possible
- Will Sheriff Al Cannon pay for slap?
- Big stores opposed in Mount Pleasant
- Inquiry focuses on friend of treasurer
- WISE COLUMN: Towne Centre getting 2 new restaurants
- S.C. State transit center moves ahead
