Talk:Ocean Isle Beach house fire

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This article was recently separated from a section of the Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina article. Many of us worked intently on this at the time of this tragedy. At that time, we resisted creating a separate article. Instead, we concentrated on accuracy and confirming anything published in Wikipedia through multiple sources. As a result, I believe that the information and sources were researched and presented to some of the better standards found in Wikipedia at that time.

However, as the event has become more history than a current event, there could still probably be some improvements to what we wrote then, Also, I would respectfully hope that we can use this article as a method of documenting not only what occurred, but what has transpired and will in the future as a result.

I find there is may be a meaningful comparison to our Wikipedia article on the Carrollton bus disaster which occurred on the night of May 14, 1988. On a clear, warm spring night in northern Kentucky, a school bus in use as a church bus carrying 67 people home from a theme park was struck head on by a small pickup truck driven by an intoxicated driver traveling the wrong way on an Interstate highway. No one received fatal injuries in the initial collision. However, damage from the impact blocked the front loading door of the bus and ruptured the 60 gallon gasoline tank. A fire broke out quickly and as the bus filled with smoke, the occupants had to try to reach the only other designated exit, a rear emergency door partially blocked by seats and a beverage cooler stored in the aisle. Despite efforts of truck drivers and other passersby, many could not get out before the bus was fully engulfed by the fire. By the time emergency workers arrived, as in the case of Ocean Isle beach house fire, it was too late to reach them. In that tragic chain of events in Kentucky, 27 people died and 34 more were injured, many with serious burns; some were permanently disfigured. As of this writing, it has the highest death and injury toll of a bus accident in United States history.

Of course, the media publicity initially was widespread. From that tragedy, there were many lessons to be learned. Many people took action, notably several family members who helped M.A.D.D. grow into a strong advocate for drinking and driving prevention. Changes since in drinking and driving laws and renewed efforts at prevention, and vehicle standards such as emergency exits on buses are legacies which are also memorials to those who suffered and those who were lost. It is heartening to me to read that part of the Carrollton article.

At the time of the Ocean Isle Beach fire, there were similar indications that some long-term things might happen stimulated by the tragedy, such as changes in fire codes, etc. If such has occurred, or even if not, this article would be a good place to document those items or any such efforts.

I live in Williamsburg, Virginia. I think in this instance, a credo of Colonial Williamsburg also fuels my interest in this and the Carrollton bus disaster article. That is:


 * That the Future May Learn from the Past.

The purpose of Wikipedia is to disseminate information, not to advocate societal reforms. However, making sure we do the first may indirectly facilitate the latter in this instance, as I feel it has with the Carrollton article. I have some additional information and reference sources should other Wikipedians wish to collaborate on this article. If so, please contact me on my Talk page. Mark in Historic Triangle of Virginia (talk) 17:50, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 9 external links on Ocean Isle Beach house fire. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20071101062024/http://www.charlotte.com:80/112/story/338291.html to http://www.charlotte.com/112/story/338291.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20080706060053/http://www.thestate.com/beachfire/story/215276.html to http://www.thestate.com/beachfire/story/215276.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20080706055300/http://www.thestate.com/beachfire/story/217003.html to http://www.thestate.com/beachfire/story/217003.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110522203413/http://www.wsoctv.com/news/14497857/detail.html to http://www.wsoctv.com/news/14497857/detail.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20071104042855/http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com:80/news/local/story/237279.html to http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/story/237279.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20071104141402/http://www.thestate.com:80/news/story/219824.html to http://www.thestate.com/news/story/219824.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20080125224051/http://www.wyff4.com:80/news/14677021/detail.html to http://www.wyff4.com/news/14677021/detail.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20071105063007/http://www.thestate.com:80/news/story/219025.html to http://www.thestate.com/news/story/219025.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20071112025834/http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com:80/575/story/246317.html to http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/575/story/246317.html

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Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 21:11, 13 January 2017 (UTC)