08/13/09 120 W, 1 I - + 8 - 7 Man Dies Trying to Extinguish Smithfield House Fire
Never go back inside a burning building. That's the age-old lesson to be taught and retaught by fire educators, and which was tragically demonstrated early Wednesday in Smithfield. After a pot on a stove started a fire at 423 Martin Luther King Drive, four to five residents safely escaped. One man, who awoke everyone and also exited the structure, went back inside to extinguish the fire. He died inside the house. Coverage of the story includes this
WRAL story, this
NBC17 story, and this
WMPM story. "Get out and stay out," a fire safety catchphrase to be taught alongside the familiar "stop, drop, and roll."

NBC17 photo