100 years ago in Greenacres: Children trapped in burning home escape through window

Three children in a burning Greenacres home were trapped upstairs by flames and smoke. The only windows were 20 feet above ground.

So Harold Nyberg, 14, held his 8-year-old sister Elizabeth by the hands and let her down as far as possible before letting go. She landed safely on the ground. He and his brother, Clarence, 12, then both jumped from the window and landed safely.

Their parents and 4-year-old sister had been sleeping on the ground floor when they heard a crash in a back room and discovered the fire. They were also able to get out of the house safely.

The cause of the fire was not specified.

From the lost child beat: Lauren Kirk, 2, was reported missing from her home, so three patrolmen, a motorcycle officer and all of the neighbors spent two hours frantically searching for her.

Her father finally found her, sleeping under a bed in her own home. One officer recalled that he had been called out to the same address beforeto look for the same child, and that time she had also been found in the house asleep.

The officer said he advised the parents to “place a bell on their young daughter.”