Port Huron, MI Carnahan Family House Fire, Apr 1952

Blaze Levels Lakeport Home
Leo Carnahan Family of 11
Caught In Heater Explosion;
Son, Timothy, 1, Dies In Flames

by Mark H. Weischler

An infant boy was burned to death and his parents and seven of eight other children were injured when a floor-type oil space heater exploded and destroyed their Lakeport home early Sunday.

The dead:
Timothy Carnahan, 1
The injured:
The father, Leo Carnahan, 41, face and hand burns, shock and a back injury
The mother, Mrs. Madeline Carnahan, 40, face and head burns
Anna Carnahan, 17, face and head burns
Leo Carnahan Jr., 15, right arm burn
Roger, 13, face and head burns
Patrick, 11, burns on his entire body and limbs
Rita, 6, face and hands
Michael, 5, arms and legs
Charles, nearly 2, body burns

Another child, David, 3, was not injured.

Rita and Leo Jr. were released from Port Huron Hospital after receiving first aid.

The parents and the other five children are still in the hospital.

The condition of Patrick, who suffered burns on all of his body except part of the face, was described today by Hospital attendants as still "critical."

Although the father is in an oxygen tent, his condition, and the condition of his wife and other children, are said to be "good."

Rita is staying temporarily with an aunt in Lakeport. David and Leo Jr. are staying with Mr. and Mrs. Leo A. Potrykus, 7100 Lakeport drive.

The explosion occurred between 7 and 7;30 a.m. in the family's two-story, frame dwelling in the 7000 block on Lake Shore road (US-25).

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Stanyer, who operate a fish market across the road at 7080 Lake Shore road, heard the blast.

The alarm was given by Mrs. Stanyer who ran about a block to the fire hall of the Burtchville Township Fire Department.

She sounded the alarm on the siren and then ran back to the scene of the blaze.

Members of the Fire Department, aided later by the Grant Township Fire Department, were unable to get any closer than 50 feet to the blazing dwelling.

It only took about 20 minutes for the fire to level the house to the ground.

Meanwhile, the father and Leo Jr. were heroes in rescuing others in the family.

Mr. Carnahan said he woke up and smelled smoke.

He ran downstairs, smashed a window and told three children, Roger, Michael, and David, who were sleeping downstairs on a couch, to escape that way.

The father then ran upstairs and awakened the rest of the family.

Roger followed his father back upstairs but Michael and David escaped through the downstairs window.

Patrick, Charles and the parents had been sleeping in a second floor bedroom on the east side of the house. Leo Jr. was in a bedroom on the west side and Rita, Anna and the boy who died in the fire slept in another west bedroom.

Mrs. Carnahan, with Charles in her arms, jumped through a window to the ground.

Leo Jr. got out on a shed at the rear of the house and his father passed Anna and Rita to him.

Leo Jr. said his father grabbed Roger and that the two of them fell through the window of the girl's bedroom to the ground. The father, who suffered a back injury while in service during World War II, injured his back again in the fall.

He was unable to re-enter the flaming house to get Timothy or Patrick.

Leo Jr. said he believed Patrick became panicky and hid under a bed. He searched the smoke filled upstairs but couldn't find anyone and figured everyone had escaped.

The family started across the road, toward Stanyers, when they saw Patrick at a front window.

They returned and yelled at Patrick to jump.

Leo Jr., a ninth grade pupil at Garfield Junior High School, said Patrick had wrapped himself in a blanket and that it appeared he had become caught in something.

He said Patrick slumped over the window sill, half in and half out of the building, and was trying with his hands to pull himself out by grabbing the siding.

Leo Jr. said he tried to jump up and reach his brother but he was too high. Suddenly, Patrick slid a little farther and plummeted to the ground.

It was shortly before 8 a.m. when Rev. John Hogan, administrator of St. Edward-on-the-Lake Catholic church, heard of the tragedy while on his way to say morning Mass.

He rushed to the scene and comforted Patrick and other members of the family, who are members of his parish, and went to the Hospital with the family.

Fr. Hogan returned in time to say the 9:30 a.m. Mass.

The father, Leo Carnahan, was unable because of shock to remember exactly what happened.

A well driller, he was employed by a firm at Farmington. His wallet containing his week's pay, Mrs. Carnahan's purse with their household funds as well as all furnishings, clothing and valuables were destroyed.

The house was not insured. Lakeport residents said the family had "a hard time of it" because of the father's illness. Mr. Carnahan suffered the back injury in Service when a well drilling rig fell on him. He had worn a portable cast until recently and was still wearing a support for his back at the time of the tragedy.

The heating unit was located on the first floor in the middle of the house. It was a floor-type oil burning heater with the unit recessed under the floor with a grill fashioned flush with the floor.

Carnahan said Sunday that he had noticed a crack in the side of the heater several days ago and believed that might have caused the fire.

Leo Jr. said the family had gone to bed about 11:30 p.m. Saturday and that the heater had been turned on low. He said that he awoke about 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning and then went back to sleep. He said he didn't smell any smoke at that time or notice anything wrong.

The next thing that he remembered was when his father woke him up. He said he believed the failure to rescue the baby and Patrick was because the family was excited and panicky.

Coroner Stewart S. Kipp said Timothy died of accidental burns. Deputy sheriff Edward N. Hyatt investigated. Deputy Richard Cain took photographs.

The dead infant, Timothy Truman Carnahan, was born April 26, 1951 in Port Huron.

In addition to his parents and brothers and sisters, he is survived by a grandfather, Lee Carnahan, Port Huron, and two grandmothers, Mrs. Alvina Pemberton, Lexington, and Mrs. Anna Carnahan, Port Huron.

The remains are in the Kipp funeral home.

Mr. Kipp said today that he will make no charge for the funeral as his contribution to the ill-fated family.

Funeral services will be arranged after the discharge of the parents from the hospital.

From The Port Huron Times-Herald, 21 Apr 1952, p. 1-2

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Fire Victims Improving In Hospital

The condition of Patrick Carnahan, 11, who suffered critical burns Sunday when a fire caused by a space heater explosion killed a brother, Timothy, 1, and injured his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Carnahan, Lakeport, and seven of eight other brothers and sisters, was said today by Port Huron Hospital attendants to be "improved."

In addition to Patrick, the parents and Charles, 2, Michael, 5, Roger, 13, and Anna, 17, are still undergoing treatment for burns in the Hospital.

Another child, David, 3, was not injured. Rita, 5, and Leo Carnahan Jr., 15, were given first aid and released Sunday. The three are staying temporarily with relatives and friends in Lakeport.

It was first said that the mother, Mrs. Madeline Carnahan, 40, jumped to safety through an upstairs window with a son, Charles, in her arms.

Members of the family today said Anna, a sister, jumped to safety with Charles. It has not been determined, they said, how the mother escaped from the blazing dwelling.

From The Port Huron Times-Herald, 22 Apr 1952, p. 1

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Funeral Thursday For Carnahan Boy Killed in Blaze

Funeral services for Timothy Truman Carnahan, 1-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Carnahan, who was killed Sunday morning when a floor type space heater exploded and destroyed his parents' Lakeport home and injured his parents and seven of eight brothers and sisters, will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday in St. Edward's-on-the-Lake Catholic church, Lakeport.

The Rev. John Hogan, administrator, will officiate.

Burial will be in Lexington Catholic Cemetery.

From The Port Huron Times-Herald, 23 Apr 1952, p. 1
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Carnahan Boy Dies In Hospital, 2nd To Perish

Patrick, 11, Succumbs To Burns After Eight Days

Patrick Carnahan, 11, who had clung to life for eight days after fire destroyed his parents' Lakeport home, died of burns at 8:20 a.m. today in Port Huron Hospital.

Patrick had been in critical condition in the Hospital since the Sunday morning fire April 20 took the life of a brother, Timothy Truman Carnahan, 1, and injured eight of the other nine surviving members of the Leo Carnahan family, including Mr. and Mrs. Carnahan.

The remains are in the Karrer-Simpson funeral home. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Members of the family and friends said the Rosary for him this morning in St. Edward-on-the-Lake Catholic church led by Rev. John R. Hogan, administrator of the church.

Patrick is survived by his parents; five brothers, Leo Jr., Roger, Michael, Charles and David Carnahan; two sisters, Rita and Anna Carnahan; a grandfather, Lee Carnahan, Port Huron, and two grandmothers, Mrs. Alvina Pemberton, Lexington, and Mrs. Anna Carnahan, Port Huron.

The only member of the family still in the Hospital is Michael, 5.

The Altar society of St. Edward will meet at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the funeral home to recite the Rosary.

Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday in St. Edward's church.

Father Hogan will officiate.

Burial will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery.

From The Port Huron Times-Herald, 28 Apr 1952, p. 1
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Jennifer Trahan