Maurice A. Ahearn, Jr., 26, student, died as a result of saving Edward A. Kain, 24, student, and others from burning, Norman, Oklahoma, December 3, 1949. At night, fire broke out on the second floor of a college dormitory and quickly spread to a hallway adjoining rooms in which Kain, Ahearn, and 32 other students were sleeping. Ahearn awakened Kain and ran into the hallway, where heat was blistering and smoke was dense, shouting that there was a fire. Ahearn ran to the door of a room occupied by two students and knocked. The students recognized Ahearn’s voice repeatedly shouting fire. One of them opened the door, sustaining face burns. The two students climbed through the window of their room and jumped to the ground, escaping serious injury. Kain saw Ahearn running toward dense flames in the hallway and shouting to rouse other students. Kain ran to a fire escape and descended to the ground. Ahearn later was seen in the hallway close to the flames holding a fire hose and shouting fire. Flames spread and completely destroyed the building. The body of Ahearn was found in the debris. Two other students perished in the fIames, and 71 others were burned or injured in jumping from the windows. 3667-41879
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