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."
CNHI/Southeast Iowa
Related Photos
-
Daniel W. Burke
Share your thoughts!
Police: N.Y. man set himself on fire
- CNHI/Southeast Iowa
-
-
Kia Optima is a hit with the buying public
When it comes to midsized family sedans, the Kia Optima ranks high on my list for its good looks, economy and value.
-
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.
-
SLIDESHOW: Texas storms damage homes, uproot trees
After a series of tornadoes touched down outside Dallas, residents of many Texas communities are cleaning up.
-
VIDEO: Man hands out Abercrombie clothes on Skid Row in bid to shame brand
Anger has mounted online against clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch due to comments made by its chief executive and its strategy of not making women's clothing in any size above large.
-
Feces contaminates 58 percent of public swimming pools
Human feces taints more than half of public swimming pools, a finding U.S. health officials are using to urge better personal hygiene as the summer months approach.
-
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.
-
MAP: Tornadoes carve across North Texas communities
As many as 10 tornadoes touched down soouthwest of Dallas, Texas on Wednesday.
-
Editorial: Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
This amounts to spying on an American news organization -- common practice in dictatorships but scary conduct in a democratic system that prizes the public value of an independent watchdog press.
-
VIDEO: Texas tornadoes damage homes, businesses
The Dallas Morning News has the latest on the tornadoes that tore through the region Wednesday night.
-
VIDEO: Sun blasts massive flares into space
Solar activity can have a major impact on Earth. While these flares weren't aimed this way, eruptions like this can do a lot more than just cause the Northern Lights.
-
Tornadoes tear through East Texas; 6 people killed
A pack of tornadoes killed at least six people and injured dozens more in East Texas Wednesday night.
-
Severe weather could make weekend return
Forecasters say there is a significant risk of severe weather in Iowa beginning Sunday. The risk carries over into Monday as well.
-
How to get the most out of your air conditioner this summer
Experts say preventative maintenance on your air conditioner can save you hundreds of dollars.
-
Millersville players help couple resuscitate ailing child
The Millersville University baseball team came up with a great save this week, but it had nothing to do with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament being played at Point Stadium.
- More CNHI/Southeast Iowa Headlines
-
