St. Thomas firefighters raced to the scene of an early morning fire Sunday at Cowpet Bay West Condominiums but were unable to save 87-year-old Doreen Christensen Cole, who died in the fire.
Cole’s neighbors were awakened sometime after 1:30 a.m. by the smell of smoke. Following a call to 911, two units from Lima Company in Anna’s Retreat and one unit from Estate Dorothea’s Echo Company were dispatched immediately.
Deputy Fire Chief David Hodge said that when firefighters arrived, they observed that the middle apartment in the three-story building was on fire.
The fire was contained to the one unit, and neighbors informed firefighters that one resident was inside. "We were told there was an occupant, so immediately search-and-rescue operations were put into effect," Hodge said.
Firefighters divided into two teams, with one team doing search and rescue while the other team worked on containment.
Also on the scene were members of St. Thomas Rescue, Virgin Islands EMS and the V.I. Police Department.
Firefighters braved the smoke and flames but were unable to locate Cole.
Prior to their arrival, neighbors had broken down the locked door to Cole’s apartment in an attempt to get her out but were forced back by intense heat and smoke.
According to Hodge, the fire was under control within 15 minutes of their arrival, and Cole was found lying on the ground just outside the door to her bedroom. Cole’s adult children, Lise Cole Banfield and Dean Cole, had arrived at the scene after receiving calls from Cole’s neighbors and were able to identify their mother’s body for firefighters.
According to Banfield, Cole was laying on the ground, and it looked as if she were shielding her face. "When I saw her closed little hand, I just went to pieces," said Banfield. "My brother saw her face and said it looked like she was sleeping and peaceful. It gives me comfort to know she wasn’t burned up. That is the worst way to go."
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and is currently under investigation by Fire Marshal Leon Baptiste.
Hodge said, "I don’t want to speculate prior to completion of the investigation, but the fire appears to have started in the south bedroom, which was Cole’s."
According to Hodge, Cole’s unit sustained heavy fire, smoke and water damage, and there was slight smoke damage to the unit above Cole’s. Hodge commended the valiant rescue effort made by neighbors and the work of his firefighters but expressed sadness at the death of Cole.
"Being a firefighter, it is hard enough to see the loss of property. Having someone lose their life is extremely difficult for the guys," Hodge said.