Worker hurt escaping Roseville factory fire

Roseville — A welder was rushed to the hospital after escaping from an underground pit of flames Tuesday morning in an auto factory.

Interim Fire Chief Michael Holland said a fire broke out at about 11:40 a.m. while workers were welding items on a conveyor belt in a 30-foot-long pit at AZ Automotive Corporation on the 15200 block of Common.

The blaze blocked the escape for the worker in the pit as his coworkers tried to extinguish the fire while others called 911. Roseville firefighters arrived less than five minutes later to find that the man had managed to bolt through the flames.

The man was taken to St. John Macomb Hospital, where he was treated for smoke inhalation. His injuries are considered non-life threatening. Two others were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

Holland said initial reports indicate there were massive quantities of oil in the pit, which could have started the fire. There were also other hazardous materials including gasoline.

"This was truly one of the worst kind of fires you can have," Holland said. "You have a fire in an industrial factory, a man trapped in a confined space and a building filled with hazardous materials."

Holland said the fire burned about 5 percent of building. It was extinguished in about 35 minutes.

By Tony Briscoe
From The Detroit News:

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Construction worker trapped in trench dies

A construction worker who was trapped in a trench while working on a broken water main has died, police said Tuesday. According to Grosse Ile Township police, James Farrell, 56, died at 6:46 p.m. Monday. Farrell was working in a roadside trench near Bridge and Meridian when the walls caved in. Authorities estimated he was submerged under mud and clay for about 15 minutes before rescuers freed him.

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Girl, 14, treated for dog bites

A 14-year-old Royal Oak Township girl was treated for dog bites Saturday after a pet was let loose in a park, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies were dispatched to Pasadena and Wyoming on a report that a teen had been attacked and bitten by a dog while playing there, the sheriff's office said.

The mixed-breed dog was brought to the fenced-in park about 5 p.m. after being walked by two boys, ages 8 and 10, who told deputies they had been home alone all day and decided to walk the dog.

It wasn't clear whether the dog was intentionally let loose.

The girl suffered bites to her abdomen and right foot. Her parents took her to Providence Hospital, Southfield, for treatment. Her condition was not known Sunday night.

Oakland County Animal Control took possession of the dog.

The boys were turned over to their mother.

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Home Depot Recalls Homer’s All-Purpose Bucket Mug Due to Fire Hazard

By The CPSC / January 17, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Mug

Units: About 3,700

Manufacturer: Mr. Christmas Ltd., of Hong Kong

Hazard: The silver-colored simulated bucket handle below the rim can spark when used in a microwave oven, posing a fire hazard.

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Gas Fireplace Inserts Recalled by Jotul North America Due to Electrical Shock and Burn Hazards

By The CPSC / January 17, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Jotul and Scan gas fireplace inserts

Units: About 1,200 in the United States and 50 in Canada

Manufacturer: Jotul North America, of Gorham, Maine

Hazard: The fireplace insert’s electrical wiring can come into contact with the metal rating plate on the insert, posing electrical shock and burn hazards to consumers.

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Driver in Patterson crash sued by friend

Fraser man who was passenger alleges negligence in lawsuit

Pontiac — A Fraser man's lawsuit alleges his friend was negligent in a car crash in which Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and his driver, James Cram, were both seriously injured in August.

Raymond John Recchia, who also was injured in the crash, filed a lawsuit this week in Oakland Circuit Court alleging negligence on the part of Anthony Michael Prainito, who was the driver of the Volkswagen Passat that collided with Patterson's Chrysler 300.

Recchia, 51, who was a front-seat passenger in Prainito's car, seeks a jury trial and damages to be determined in the case from Prainito and VW Credit, Inc., the title holder who leased the vehicle to Prainito.


By Mike Martindale
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Mattresses Recalled by Easy-Rest Due to Violation of Federal Mattress Flammability Standard

By The CPSC / January 17, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Classic by Easy-Rest Foam Core Mattresses

Units: About 3,800

Importer: Easy-Rest Inc., of Portland, Ore.

Hazard: The mattresses fail to meet the mandatory federal open flame standard for mattresses, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

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