String of U.S. Fires Kill At Least Five

A string of fires across the U.S. this week killed at least five people, seriously injured several others and displaced dozens, officials said. In Lebanon County, a Church Street house fire was ruled an electrical accident and has claimed five lives, including 23‑year‑old Tailing Nunez, prompting community fundraisers and crisis support for first responders. In Washington, D.C., a Sept. 30 basement fire at the Gardens Apartments forced more than 30 residents to evacuate, hospitalized a woman with life‑threatening injuries, injured a firefighter and damaged building utilities; the cause remains under investigation. In Macon, an 86‑year‑old man, Oliver Jefferson, died of burns and smoke inhalation after a kitchen fire. In Houston’s Third Ward, a second‑floor apartment blaze sent at least one neighbor to the hospital while crews also battled water‑supply issues at a dry hydrant. A Portland assisted‑living facility fire seriously injured one resident but was contained to a single unit in part because of sprinklers, and investigations are ongoing in several of the incidents.