deadly fire

The deadliest fire in Rapid City recent memory claimed four lives Tuesday night. Those killed were 51-year-old Marcia Rock and her grandchildren — brothers Thomas Rosado, 9, Dustin Rosado, 5, and Marquez Hawkwing, 3. The 17 other residents in the five-apartment complex survived without injury. Above, Anita Deranleau, left, hugs Cyndi Red Star in front of her apartment that burned. Deranleau works for the Rapid City Area Schools, giving assistance to displaced families with students in the school system.

Such a sad story. I arrived on scene 10 hours after firefighters extinguished the flames. Many of the residents don’t have another place to stay. The Red Cross only covers a motel room for three nights. This is a story we’ll be following for a while.

house fire

Here are a few scenes from a recent house fire. The daughter (pictured above) was home with her aunt when she noticed smoldering coming from the roof above the wood stove. Her mother came home to a burned out house, with most of their belongings lost to the flames. It’s so difficult to capture a house actually on fire. The fire department drives fast and does a great job. I don’t have lights or sirens on my rig. So I try to look for moments away from the house, telling of the emotion surrounding the scene.

melted house

Here are a few images from inside a home the morning after it burned. A faulty air duct attached to a wood-burning stove caused the fire.

joe pepper fire

A local business owner’s home burned to the ground a few weeks back. I accompanied him two days after the fire to check out the property.