1 dead, 1 in critical condition after fire on Westaire Court on Ann Arbor's west side
Ann Arbor firefighters battle a blaze on Westaire Court on Ann Arbor's west side early Saturday morning.
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
A man died and a woman remains in critical condition after a fire broke out near a stove this morning at a home on Ann Arbor's west side, city fire officials said.
Jacob Rachford, 20, was pronounced dead at the University of Michigan Hospital less than two hours after the 5:01 a.m. blaze at 2275 Westaire Court, authorities said.
Rachford was a graduate of Community High School, said his mother, Terri Rachford. He was a diver at Pioneer High School and enjoyed rock climbing and skydiving, she said.
"He was just my baby," she said.
Jacob Rachford and a woman were found in the basement, unconscious from smoke inhalation, after firefighters responded to the blaze that started in a first-floor kitchen of the 1,500-square-foot home. Two people escaped uninjured. Fire Chief Dominick Lanza said he didn't know who called 911.
About 20 firefighters responded and had the fire under control by 6:19 a.m., officials said. According to Lanza, the home did not have working smoke detectors.
Neighbors said at least four young adults lived there.
Kathy McHugh, 48, of Ann Arbor, was at the scene this morning, where the house was taped off and being boarded up. She said the injured woman is a musician and friend of her son.
“She’s such a sweet, loving person,” McHugh said. “It’s just heartbreaking. It’s just tearing me up inside.”
The injured woman, whose name has not been released, is in the intensive care unit at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, hospital officials said at 4:45 p.m. Authorities also have not released the names of the two who escaped the fire.
Officials at the Washtenaw County Medical Examiner's Office could not be reached for comment this afternoon for information about the autopsy on Rachford.
It was the city's first fire fatality this year.
Lee Higgins is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and e-mail at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
Maddi Shulman
Sat, Jul 30, 2011 : 9:54 p.m.
Jacob was one of my elementary-school classmates, and a really nice guy. My prayers go out to his family :(
breadman
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 8:32 p.m.
the owner of the house passed away in 2006. So it was either rented or family members were in side. The name of the male did not match to that I knew there. Could have been a Grandson?
Bluefire
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 4:02 p.m.
The home was owner-occupied.
AAJoker
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 2:12 p.m.
What a tragedy, our thoughts to the families and all affected. BTW the photographs are by Lon Horwedel per the other article <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/news/2-injured-in-house-fire-on-ann-arbors-west-side/index.php">http://www.annarbor.com/news/2-injured-in-house-fire-on-ann-arbors-west-side/index.php</a> , it appears the slide show isn't giving this credit. Does anyone know if this home was owner occupied or a rental? I asked as I lived in the neighborhood for years and it was always a rental. If it was a rental, when was the last time the city inspected the house?
Watcher
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 1:27 p.m.
Very impressive photography. Let's see more of Lee Higgins.
Tony Dearing
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 2:48 p.m.
Watcher, just to clarify, the photos were taken by Lon Horwedel, one of our staff photographers.
Bill
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 1:13 p.m.
My goodness! No fire alarm and no carbon monoxide detectors? What a shame! My condolences to the families.
Kai Petainen
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 5:10 a.m.
=(
Jack
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 2:06 a.m.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Jacob's family tonight!
Ann English
Sat, Jan 29, 2011 : 11:44 p.m.
Was the female musician from Grand Rapids, or was that hospital location better suited to treat her than the UM Hospital? She must have been flown there. This story has already been reported on TV, and I don't think Jacob's death was reported then, just as the original breaking news here didn't report it either.
Epengar
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 10:37 p.m.
On the other story about this, someone suggested that the facility in Grand Rapids might have a hyperbaric chamber that could be used for treating severe smoke inhalation. A hyperbaric chamber is a large container designed to maintain higher-than-normal air pressure inside. Among other things, they are used to treat people with severe carbon monoxide poisoning. Maybe UM doesn't have one, or does have one and it was in use. <a href="http://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hw193681" rel='nofollow'>http://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hw193681</a>
Jimmy McNulty
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 12:41 p.m.
Very sorry to hear of this tragedy. I had the same thoughts as Ann. Was nearby UM or St. Joseph's not equipped to treat the victim who is in critical condition?
Marit
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 12:05 a.m.
the musician is from ann arbor.