911 Calls Released in Christmas Fire
Emergency phone calls from the deadly Christmas day fire that broke out in Stamford, Ct. have been made public, only days after the holiday fire claimed five lives.
The Christmas day fire broke out at the home of advertising executive and founder of the New York City-based Badger & Winters Group, Madonna Badger, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Of the five people killed in the deadly blaze were Badger’s three children and her parents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson.
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One neighbor, who was woken up by screams, called the police at 4:52 a.m.
“There is a huge fire at the house next door to us, the whole house is on fire … it’s a major fire and there’s three kids and a woman,” the neighbor told 911.
The fire department arrived on the scene within six minutes but there was not much that could be done due to the extensive heat and heavy flames. Four firefighters were injured trying to rescue the five people trapped in the house.
Fire officials noted on Tuesday that the Victorian house, which was undergoing extensive renovations, was unfit to be occupied at the time of the deadly fire. The house did not have an inspection certificate, making it unsafe to live, and might not have had activated smoke and fire alarms.
Officials believe that the fire began as a result of discarded fireplace ash and embers either placed near or in a mudded room in the house.
Badger gained notoriety in the fashion industry for her work with Calvin Klein on Obsession perfume ads as well as Calvin Klein underwear campaigns.
“It is a terrible, terrible day,” Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia told reporters on Sunday following the fire.
“There probably has not been a worse Christmas day in the city of Stamford,” he solemnly added.
As of yet, no funeral arrangements have been made, but it has been reported that the Johnsons will be buried in Canada.
