Some Not-So-Terrible Fire Leads

Late Night with David Letterman (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Terrible Fire

1) In a late-night rescue, Castro Valley fireman Norman Young dragged a local resident from his burning home earlier today, reviving him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

According to authorities, the rescued man, Albert Lofton, 53, and his wife, Barbara Lofton, 26, who suffered a sprained ankle jumping from an upstairs window, were treated at a local hospital and are in satisfactory condition.

The fire was the apparently caused by Lofton falling asleep on his living room sofa while smoking a cigarette. According to authorities, Lofton said he had started a fire in the home in the same way two years ago. 99 words

 (could go chronological at this point)

The Lofton’s house, which is located at 1413 Napa St. in Castro Valley, suffered $150,000 in damages, fire officials said.

(or you could add the damage information and go chronological)

2) (Maybe this works. Certainly exciting and consistent with the facts)

After the wife of a Castro Valley man was driven back by flames and chose to save herself by jumping from a second-story window of their burning home, suffering a sprained ankle, late last night a local fireman entered the house and rescued the unconscious husband she had failed to reach.

According to authorities, fireman Norman Young revived Albert Lofton, 53, using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation after dragging Lofton from his living room. Lofton later told authorities he had apparently set his sofa on fire when he fell asleep while watching David Letterman, cigarette in hand.

Lofton and wife Barbara, 26, were taken to Kaiser Hospital in Leandro. Mrs. Lofton has been released. Mr. Lofton is in satisfactory condition but remains hospitalized, hospital officials said. 123 words

3) Albert Lofton, 56, certainly isn't the first person to fall asleep while watching the "Late Show with David Letterman.”  He is, however, the second Castro Valley resident in the last two years to set his house aflame after dozing off on the sofa with a lit cigarette in his hand, according to authorities.

The first perpetrator: also Albert Lofton.

Around 24 months ago, Lofton fell asleep while smoking a cigarette, which caused $15,000 in damages to his home.

Last night Lofton kindled yet another fire in just the same way, said the Castro Valley Fire Department, one of whose firefighters dragged Lofton unconscious from his burning home and revived him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. 113 words

This time damages were $150,000, authorities said.