Evening star., 1953-03-30
; Agencies Probe
Fire Fatal 10 3 al
Florida Nursing Home
BY the A.soeiosed Press


LARGO. Fla, Mar. 3O.-Three
agencies are investigating the
wind-swept fire which destroyed
q one-Story frame nursing home
yesterday, taking the lives of 80
elderly patients and a valiant
nurse who tried to save them.
Investigations were started
today by the State fire marshal,
the State Hotel Commission and
Sheriff Sid Saunders.
The ages Of the victims ranged
from IS to 81 and many Of the
patients were so senile that,
childlike. they refused to leave
their warm beds in the early pre-
dawn chill.
Only 25 Escape.
OF the 81 patients in the pri-
eately owned Littlefleld Nursing
Home. only IS escaped as neigh
bors turned out barefooted and
in nightclothes to aid rescue eff
forts Of the owners, Mr.. and Mrs.
w. L. Littlefleld, who operated
the home for % years.
Fire companies from Largo and
nearby Clearwater. on the Flor
ida West Coast, came quickly,
but within a few minutes the
sprawling structure was a mass
Of flames and charred ruins.
Cause Of the fire was unknown
and Clearwater Fire Chief Peter
Treola said it might never be
learned. Chief Treola said pre-
liminary checks led him to be-
lieve the blaze started near the
kitchen and supply room. Mr..
Littlefield said he thought the
flre began in a front bedroom.
The tragedy cost "a lives in all,
for Angus D. Smith, Pinellas
County welfare director, was
killed in an automobile collision
while driving three patients to a
hospital.
Many Die in Bed.
Many Of the victims died in
their beds. unaware of the dam
ger that suddenly roared at them
about $3.50 o'clock on the chilly
Sabbath morning.
OF those who gained con-
seioHsness. some were too pan
icky to follow directions; some
were too old to understand.
If they had done what I told
them they would all have gotten
out. !" Mr.. Littlefield said in a
tired voice.
The LittlefieldS were sleeping
In the home with the patients.
Mr.. Littlefeld said he was awak-
ened by the screams of woman.
He tried to fight the flames with
fire extinguishers, saw he was
losing, and began waking up pa
tients and trying to get them
out.
Mrs. Littlefield ran outside,
screaming for help, and collapsed
Of a heart attack. She is in
serious condition.
Man Fights ReScuer.
Zone man was sound asleep
and he clung to the door and
fought me while I tried to get
him out" said Mrs. Aletha Her.
ring, who lives across the road.
They were just like children
they didn't want to be removed
from their warm beds" said an
other neighbor, T. r. Hasty, who
carried out patients until he was
almost cut of by the raging
flames.
However, some of the patients
themselves helped others escape.
VIII Hardin, rs. Palm Harbor,
said: II carried out Gus Simon
son. who is "a years old. He had
two canes and he could walk
just a little"
Mrs. Frank Colley Of Clear
water helped get two out.
Rescued and rescuers alike
grieved for Mrs. Gertrude War
nick. IS, a nurse who brought
one woman out, returned to the
fiame-Swept building and did
not come out again.
Several patients ran screaming
from the blazing building, hiding
in the surrounding grapefruit
grove.
Many of the patients were
old-age pensioners, getting a lit
tie additional welfare help from
Pinellas County. Others were
mental cases.
The charred, shriveled remains
Of the victims lay for hours on
twisted bedsteads or in the smok-
ing ashes beside them until they
could be identified. Then the
only way they could be named
was for, q nurse to say who
should have been in those beds.