Edward E. Pritchett died attempting to save Anthony J. Irwin, 5, and five other children, aged 2 to 7, from suffocation, Wilmington, Delaware, October 28, 1964. At night fire broke out in the living room of a two-story dwelling in which the six children were unattended. Some of the children sustained burns; and all ran to the second floor, where they crawled under a bed. A woman noticed the fire and screamed for help, attracting Pritchett, 31, unemployed laborer, and others. Learning that there were children inside the dwelling, Pritchett ran to the front door and began kicking it. The door opened, and Pritchett lunged into the living room where flames burned on the floor, the furniture, and the wallpaper. Smoke was dense. As air rushed into the dwelling, there was an explosive spread of flames. Pritchett’s clothing and hair caught fire, and he tried to beat out the flames. He staggered, fell to the floor, and was engulfed by the flames. Firemen arrived. They removed the body of Pritchett, who had burned to death. By means of a ladder they also removed Anthony and the other children from the bedroom. The children were treated for their burns and for smoke inhalation. They recovered.
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