Liberty, NY – As fire officials upstate continue to investigate last night’s lethal fire, VIN News has learned that there were no smoke detectors in any of the bungalows at Camp Mareh Yechezkel off Rt. 55, and that fire officials came close to evacuating the entire colony last night.
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A fire watch was run throughout the night last night at the camp, located on Route 55 in Liberty. As previously reported on VIN News, three year old Aron Follman died in the blaze last night after rescuers were unable to retrieve him from the burning building that broke out just before 10 PM.
The cause of the fire is believed to be a clip-on fan.
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Aron’s mother managed to rescue two of her three children from the burning bungalow and his father, Shlomo Avraham Follman was present at the time the fire broke out. Both Hatzolah members and state troopers tried to rescue the toddler from the blaze. All four were transported to Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris.
“Both Sergeant Richard Wright and Trooper Dwight Herman from nearby Troop S in Liberty tried so hard to get him out,” Yanky Meyer of Misaskim told VIN News. “They tried fevershly to get into the building. They tried from the front. They tried from the back. They tried from the neighbor. They just didn’t stop.”
According to Meyer who arrived on scene after the fire was extinguished at approximately 10:30 PM, there were numerous downed live electrical wires on the property due to the fire.
Hatzolah was the first to arrive at the scene last night, followed shortly thereafter by units from both the Liberty and Swan Lake fire departments.
A small levaya was held at 1:30 AM last night at Camp Mareh Yechezkel for those who were already in the Catskills with a larger levaya to take place at 11:00 AM this morning at the Linzer Shul in Borough Park.
Burial will take place at the Bobov section of the Washington Cemetery in Deans, New Jersey.
BD”E. VELOI YISHOMA OID SHOID VOSHEVER BIGVULAINU….
Smoke detectors are about $5. You can get by with one or two placed near bedrooms.
In NY, it is mandatory to have smoke detectors and against the law not to. For a mere 5 dollars, this death could have been prevented.
Please tell me one camp or bungalow that is safe with no extension cords and does have smoke detectors
never saw it in my life
Unfortunately most bungalow colonies are fire traps and death traps. They are decrepit unpaved not sufficiently lighted and suited for the activities taking place.
BDE. UNACCEPTABLE
How can a clip on fan cause a fire? Extension cords aren’t safe? I’d like to know to increase the safety in my own home.
to #11 i don’t know what happen by this fire, but my life was saved by having a smoke alarm. it is a must to have a smoke alarm!
If the mother was right there, a smoke detector would not have saved the boy or prevented the fire.
The fire officials are guilty of gross negligence for not evicting the entire colony.
And if the lack of smoke detectors contributed to the death of this child then the camp directors are guilty of homicide.
Venishmartem Nafshoysychem applies to every person , place …
You can NOT just say it was bashert….
If the LAW requires Seat belts, Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors then this is the Responsibility which the Torah demands from us.
Maybe in this case the Smoke detector would of been too late to evacuate but how can someone own a colony and not a single unit would have a detetector.?
Of course Shoymer Pesoyim hashem but we have a Torah obligation and a Human responsibility…Let every one now make sure to have one installed or at least check the batteries if they are in working order..Also a small fire extungisher in the kitchen would make a BIG difference in a small bungallow….
My deepest condolences to the Follman family and may hashem give you the Koech to overcome this terrible tragedy and Klal Yisroel is mourning your Loss.
Hamukem Yenachem Eschem Besoych Shar Avyly Zion
I also forgot to mention that now that we are approaching the end of the Summer Season and we are getting ready to make our way back to the City that usually lots of people back up their vechiles to the door of their bungallow and this is a very dangerous time as most parents are busy packing up and loading and the small children walk around with NO supervision and they might NOT been seen by the driver. Please be extra extra cautious and make sure you look around your vechile, keep your windows open and music and radio closed so you can hear surrounding noise…May hashem help us that we should all come home gezinterheit…Tzeischem Leshulem Iboyachem Leshulem…
Yossi, no. The law does not make the requirement. If it is necessary, you should have one without a law and if not, the law doesnt change things
So very sad. Seems every summer there are fatal fires or near disasters in the Catskills. Maybe safety and building codes should be taught along with gemmoyra.