Fatal blaze blamed on command failures; An independent report cites a "delay to action" by the Oak Grove Fire Department that let a fire to spiral out of control.(NEWS)

From: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) | Date: July 12, 2008| Author: | Copyright information

Byline: PAUL LEVY; STAFF WRITER

Inadequate preparation and the misreading of conditions by Oak Grove Fire Department commanders allowed a March house fire -- in which an 86-year-old man died -- to go unchecked for up to 10 minutes and build out of control, according to an investigator's report released Friday.

The report's theme -- a "delay to action" -- echoes many of the concerns expressed by angry Oak Grove firefighters, who said indecision and delay by superiors during the March 5 fire may have cost the life of James Verdi Blackford. The report, by former Edina Fire ...

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