Passer-by helps family escape burning residence

Grand Island Dispatch, June 16, 2006
Photo and story by Ray Pauley
Public Information Officer
Grand Island Fire Company

During the early morning coffee run to McMahon’s restaurant last weekend, Ed Lewis got more than he bargained for when he suddenly noticed a huge cloud of black smoke in the sky and wondered what was burning. At 6:40 a.m., when he drove down Broadway near Whitney Place, he discovered flames and smoke billowing out of an open garage door at William Palumbo’s home. He pulled over, jumped out of his vehicle and began pounding on the front door, finally rousing the occupants after several minutes “that seemed like hours.”

Palumbo, his 15-year-old son, and two teen-age nephews escaped while a 911 call was made reporting the emergency.

Grand Island Fire Chief Greg Butcher said apparatus and fire suppression crews arrived on location within four minutes. The crews were able to quickly confine the damage to the garage, although some smoke had begun to infiltrate into the residence itself.

Total damage was estimated at $12,000 to the structure and its contents. Fortunately, the family’s vehicle was parked outside and was not damaged.

Chuck Berlinger, GIFC fire investigator, gave the cause of the fire as “accidental” in his preliminary report.

All Grand Island Fire Company units returned into service at 7:41 a.m., Butcher said.