PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. —
A Plattsburgh man who had recently been charged with sex abuse was in critical condition Thursday after he apparently lit himself on fire.
At about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, Plattsburgh City Police officers arrested Daniel W. Burke, 60, of 3 Charles Way as he was driving on Margaret Street.
He was taken to the Police Station, charged with driving while intoxicated and released to a sober person who came to pick him up.
On Feb. 13, Burke had been charged with second-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly molesting someone under age 14. He was out on bail from those charges.
Smell of gasoline
Just before 10 p.m. Wednesday, a neighbor of Burke's heard glass breaking at the man's mobile home and called police. Officers arrived and could see Burke inside the house by himself.
City Police Chief Desmond Racicot told the Press-Republican that the four patrol officers — Joel Vassar, Richard Tucker, Charles Wolfe and Adam Wood — surrounded the mobile home and tried to speak with Burke.
Then he turned off the lights in the mobile home. Suddenly, the bedroom where he was standing was aglow as Burke apparently set himself on fire.
Racicot said the four officers broke down the mobile-home door. They could smell a strong odor of gasoline as they rushed to Burke.
"He was engulfed in flames," the chief said. "They were half-carrying him, half-dragging him out of the trailer, slapping him with their hands and rolling him to try to put out the fire."
He told the officers he was trying to kill himself, said Racicot, who said Burke's burns were causing his skin to peel.
Rushing fire
Fire began to roar through the structure.
"Plattsburgh Fire Department personnel responded and fought the blaze," according to a news release from City Police. "A neighboring trailer and also a single-family home were damaged by the extreme heat and flames.
"Neighbors were all evacuated during the firefighting effort."
In the meantime, Burke was taken by ambulance to CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh, where he was treated and then transferred to Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington with first- and second-degree burns to half of his body. He was listed in critical condition Thursday.
City crews cited
Vassar and Tucker, whose uniforms were burned as they tried to put out the fire on Burke, were taken to CVPH for evaluation, then released. All four officers returned to work Wednesday night, Racicot said.
"Certainly, the department is very proud of them," the chief said. "There is no doubt that, right then and there, they saved this guy's life."
Racicot also said city firefighters did a good job in a challenging situation.
"In a case like this, where there is the presence of some kind of accelerant, that steps it up a notch, as far as the intensity of a fire," he said. "We are very fortunate that they were able to protect the adjacent residents."
Technicians were at the mobile home on Thursday doing crime-scene forensics.
"It is being investigated as an arson," Racicot said.
"It is tough," he said of Burke's mental state. "He admitted trying to kill himself. He obviously had some legal problems."
Community News Network
Related Photos
-
Daniel W. Burke
Discussion
Police: N.Y. man set himself on fire
- Community News Network
-
-
Kebabs: Health kick on a stick
Grilling is a simple way to feed your family well this summer. Start with a lean meat and a healthful marinade and then allow the grill to strip away additional fat for a heart-healthy and waist-friendly final result. Plus, grilling caramelizes the natural sugars in foods, which adds flavor without additional calories and fat.
-
Boy Scouts: Yes to gay youths, no to adults
The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its ban on openly gay youths but maintained a prohibition on gay adult leaders, a decision framed as a compromise but one that could lead to litigation and thousands of defections from one of America's largest youth organizations.
-
Expert: Schools need shelters
Ninety-four percent of Oklahoma schools do not have tornado shelters, according to Gov. Mary Fallin, even though at least one weather expert says they should be standard. With two Moore schools destroyed in Monday’s EF-5 tornado — and ...
-
Siblings withstand storm in fridge
Brother and sister co-owners of a Chinese takeout restaurant huddled inside a refrigerator to survive Monday’s deadly tornado that claimed 24 lives.
-
SLIDESHOW: Tornado passes through Oklahoma
A fast-moving storm brought rain, hail and tornadoes to Oklahoma late Sunday afternoon and evening.
-
Officer treated and released after injuries from Oklahoma windstorm
Enid, Okla. police officer Lee Friesendahl was treated and released at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center Saturday night after his patrol car was struck by a strong windstorm triggered by a heat burst.
-
The story behind the viral deer on a bus video
The way bus driver John Porter tells it, some of his co-workers now call him “John Deer.”
-
Identity-theft victim jailed on culprit’s warrant
Kurt Millard spent most of last weekend in jail, locked up on another man’s arrest warrant. The 26-year-old resident of Joplin, Mo. could not convince his jailers they had the wrong guy.
-
VIDEO: Bombing suspect allegedly wrote confession in boat
Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev allegedly penned a note inside the boat where he was found hiding from authorities, explaining his rationale for his part in the deadly explosion.
-
When the earth moves under our feet
One of the most breath-taking geologic events is a major earthquake. In just a few moments, shaking of the Earth can result in billions of dollars of damage and thousands of lives lost.
- More Community News Network Headlines
-
