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Smoking in bed blamed in fatal blaze

Daniel Wagner, a hospice patient, dies from a fire that destroyed his room.

By JOSE CARDENAS
Published August 29, 2006

LARGO - Smoking in bed had already caused a small fire for Daniel Wagner, a hospice patient who needed oxygen to help him breathe.

And it was a good warning, said Joellen Wagner, 72, his wife of 31 years, "but it just wasn't enough."

On Saturday, Wagner, 75, a Korean War veteran and retired high school principal, likely died as the result of a fire started by ashes that fell from his cigarette onto his bed, family and Largo fire officials say.

Oxygen escaping from one of two tanks as the fire burned through the equipment helped fuel the fire that destroyed Wagner's room, said Largo Fire Marshall Jim Warman.

The fire at around 4 p.m. at the house in the 1300 block of Kennywood Drive resulted in Largo's first fire death this year.

"We do everything we can as far as prevention," Warman said. "Any time we have fire deaths in the community, it reinforces the need for us to do more education."

Mrs. Wagner, who is Wagner's second wife, said her husband was a native Floridian. Both worked in Miami-Dade County schools for decades, he as an administrator and she as a school registrar.

In the 1960s, Wagner was principal at Miami Central Senior High School, his wife said. His work during the era of school integration included forming committees of black and white students to improve communication.

He retired from education in the late 1980s after 23 years as principal of Miami Coral Park Senior High School.

The couple moved to Largo in 2000. He had been in hospice care for five years because of severe angina that kept him in constant pain, his family said.

On Saturday, Mrs. Wagner and her 10-year-old granddaughter, Kendra Hometchko, were playing a card game in the living room when they heard him call for help.

Mrs. Wagner said the first time she ran into the room, Wagner's back was on fire and she smothered it. She ran in and out twice more, thinking she was making progress putting the fire out.

But when she returned the third time, she could not reach her husband because the fire was out of control and the smoke was too thick. Despite being almost blind, Wagner had made it to the bathroom, she said.

Mrs. Wagner said she ran out of the room and joined her granddaughter, a fourth-grader at Oakhurst Elementary School, who had called 911.

During the fire, Mrs. Wagner said she heard an explosion from one of the oxygen tanks.

About 25 firefighters rushed to the scene, said Warman. Wagner was pronounced dead at Suncoast Hospital.

Back at the house, the firefighters put out the flames in about 26 minutes, Warman said. Wagner's room was destroyed and the rest of the house suffered heavy smoke and water damage.

Wagner's dog, a chihuahua named Rita, also perished.

Largo police also responded to the scene. Detective Keith Barton said police investigators determined quickly that the fire was started accidentally.

Mrs. Wagner said she put out a similar small fire in his bed two years ago.

"The fire was not that big," she said, referring to the first time she ran into the room Saturday. "I thought I had it under control, but it must have been smoldering."

[Last modified August 28, 2006, 22:57:39]