Boy, girl pulled from blaze in apartment complex die

Friday, Dec. 11, 1998 | 11:32 a.m.

The worst fears of firefighters who rescued two children at an apartment complex fire were realized Wednesday.

Andrew Johnson-Brown, 5, and his sister, Lisa, 9, died, apparently the result of smoke inhalation suffered in a Tuesday morning fire at the Sunpoint Apartments, 2860 S. Decatur Blvd.

A spokeswoman for University Medical Center said the young girl died at 10:25 a.m. and her brother died at 11:55 a.m.

The siblings had been on life support.

Paramedics rushed them to the hospital after firefighters saved them from the burning, second-floor apartment where they had been spending the night with their grandmother.

Officials said when they were pulled from the smoke-filled residence the children had no pulse.

Clark County Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said their pulse was restored at the hospital.

But those at the scene held out little hope for the youngsters.

"Firefighters at the scene took it really hard," said Leinbach.

City and county firefighters responded to a 7:18 a.m. fire call and found smoke and flames billowing out of the two-bedroom apartment.

City fire department spokesman Tim Szymanski said investigators suspect the cause of the fire was children playing with matches.

"Officially, the cause will be listed as undetermined, accidental," said Szymanski.

The children had been spending the night with their grandmother and a 14-year-old aunt, who is the grandmother's daughter.

The grandmother left for work shortly before 7 a.m.

The teenager was sleeping on the couch. A friend had spent the night, and the friend left at about 6:45 a.m.

Szymanski said the fire, which caused about $50,000 damage, started in the teenager's bedroom.

The older girl awoke to an apartment filled with smoke and ran out to call for help.

Szymanski said the two children were found on the floor in the master bedroom.

Leinbach said it is likely that what killed the children was poisonous gas in the smoke.

"Carbon monoxide is the biggest killer," he said. "It doesn't take a lot to cause death."

Leinbach expressed deep sympathy for the family.

"Our hearts certainly go out to them," he said.

Several firefighters have taken advantage of counseling offered through the department's Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, he said.

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