Stacy Shaw
- The corner unit townhouse shows fire damage with the windows blown out at approximately 6:30 a.m
A man died at the scene of a townhouse fire at 8444 Tackhouse Loop in Gainesville early this morning. Prince William Police have now identified him as 65-year-old Stephen Frankenberg. "There was one confirmed fatality as a result of the fire. The victim has been identified as an adult male," said police spokesman Officer Jonathan Perok. "No other injuries were reported and no foul play is suspected at this point in the investigation," which is ongoing.
According to Kim Hylander, Communications Specialist for Prince William Fire and Rescue, the man was pronounced dead after EMT workers performed CPR to attempt to revive him at the scene. She also confirmed that police are still investigating the cause of the 2-alarm fire at an end unit townhouse in Bridlewood this morning. A neighbor, who reported the fire, explained the sequence of events that took place. Lamont Gray said he gets up every day between 4:30 and 4:45 a.m. to take early morning walks. However, this morning he smelled smoke. Looking toward his neighbor’s townhouse, he saw black smoke billowing from the windows, some of which were blown out. “I took a deep breath, smelled smoke and I saw smoke coming out of that window,” Gray said, pointing toward the house. Gray immediately called 911. Gray said he was afraid it would be too dangerous to try to enter the residence, so he waited for fire fighters to arrive. He also heard popping sounds, which he believes may have been glass shattering. The first Fire and Rescue units arrived at 4:52 a.m.
- One fire fighter assessed the situation from on top a fire engine.
Later, Gray watched as fire fighters carried his neighbor Frankenberg from the structure. However, after administering CPR, EMT workers pronounced Frankenberg dead at the scene.
According to Gray and other neighbors, the man lived with a roommate who was not home at the time. The deceased was a widower. One female neighbor described him as a “friendly, fun-loving, neighborly type of person.” She said he and his wife would hold Christmas parties and be friendly to the children in the neighborhood.
- After 7 a.m., the Fire Marshall entered the home to investigate the cause and assess damages.
Gray saw the man's roommate’s dog, possibly a Maltese, exit alive, but he believes the resident’s two cats perished in the fire. Officials could not confirm this.
The house fire occurred in an end unit townhouse, so fire fighters routinely investigate the extent to which the fire damage may have spread to neighboring houses. Prince William County Police were on the scene to assist with the investigation. Officer Perok confirmed as of Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. that this is a joint on-going investigation with the Fire Marshal's Office and Prince William Police both looking into the cause of fire and investigating the cause of death.
