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Site Search RISING SUN - Confusion over a call for help made on a cell phone contributed to
Video / Audio a delay in fighting a fire Monday night that destroyed a two-story house and left
What's New a family of three homeless and four firefighters injured, said officials. Damages
were estimated at $250,000.
Write To RSFD
John and Naomi Belew, the owners of the
burned house on North Hills Drive, escaped
the house unharmed with their 2-year-old
son. They were busy Tuesday gathering the
few belongings spared by the flames.

"We lost everything," Naomi said.

Three of the firefighters, Ray Stevens, Dustin


Roberts and Kevin Bell, were released from
Union Hospital in Elkton after being treated
for heat exhaustion and minor burns. Firefighter Tim Long was kept overnight
at Christiana Hospital in Delaware where he was treated for smoke inhalation.
He was released Tuesday.

Firefighters' response time to the blaze was delayed about 15 minutes


because dispatchers could not pinpoint the location of the house from
the homeowner's 911 call on a cell phone at about 10:14 p.m. The delay
contributed to the severity of the fire, which engulfed and gutted the
home, according to Rising Sun Fire Chief Karl Reichenbach.

"When a call is made to 911 the dispatchers can automatically see the
caller's location. But when a cell phone is used it doesn't show up on the
locator," said Reichenbach, whose company fought the blaze. "The caller called
about four times. He kept saying his house was on fire, but when we asked where
he was, he kept hanging up."

Belew said he was fighting the blaze with an extinguisher and a water hose while
he was trying to phone 911 to summon the fire company.

At one point, 911 dispatchers thought Belew said he was located at "North
Drive," which prompted emergency personnel to dispatch the Cecilton Fire
Company to North Drive in West View Shores at 10:21 p.m., Reichenbach said.

Shortly after dispatching Cecilton Fire Company, dispatchers received a call


from Belew's neighbor, who told the dispatchers the burning house was located

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at North Hill Drive in Rising Sun.

"Once we were notified of the fire, we were on location in about four


minutes," Reichenbach said.

Frank Muller, director of Cecil County Emergency Medical Service, said


the emergency personnel on Tuesday were listening to a recording made of
Belew's 911 call and were trying to discern what caused the miscommunication.
On the tape Belew sounded panicked during his call and did not say exactly where
he was located, Muller said.

"When you make a call to 911 the single most important thing you can do is
say where you are at," Muller said. "The delay was very frustrating for
our dispatchers - it was very unfortunate."

According to the State Fire Marshal, the origin of the fire has not yet
been determined. Investigators were on hand at the charred dwelling on
Tuesday searching the remains with fire accelerant-sniffing dogs.

The fire began in an office at the house where there was computer equipment
and supplies. John said he noticed the fire and immediately began using
an extinguisher on it. When the extinguisher was emptied he began using a
garden hose, but the flames continued to climb the walls of the room.

"Finally the flames got to be too much, and I gave up," Belew said. "When the
flames got into the garage ,a gas tank on my truck exploded and then the fire
just took off.

"After that, I would say the whole house was engulfed in about 20 minutes."

On Tuesday, the Belews and some of their family and friends were sitting on
the front lawn of the house, still reeling from the shock of losing their home and
their belongings. Behind them, the house's blackened interior was exposed
through broken windows and the gaping holes the fire burned in the roof and
walls. The smell of melted plastic still lingered.

John and Naomi Belew, who are real estate agents, had just moved into the
home about three months ago with their two-year old son Jake.

"We lost our computers, which had all our business on them," Naomi said. "We
lost all our clothing. I want it all back."

John's mother, Liz Belew, was sorting through John's collection of baseball
cards which had survived the fire. With hands blackened by ash, she motioned to
a few small piles of knick-knacks in the grass.

"This is it - it's all they have left," she said.

Anyone who can donate assistance, clothing or goods to the Belews can call Liz Belew at 410-
658-2423 410-658-2423 .

© Cecil Whig - August 22, 2001

Listen to the RealAudio!

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