Thomas Goodwin Smith
Carroll County Times, Westminster, Md.
(TNS)
Dec. 13—Bradley White, 55, owner of White's Bicycles on Westminster's Main Street, died Monday morning following a fire inside his shop.
Westminster Fire Department firefighters pulled White from the shop at about 5:18 a.m., Monday, and emergency medical services personnel administered CPR, according to a news release from the State Fire Marshal's Office. White was pronounced dead at Carroll Hospital Center Monday morning.
The bicycle shop has been a fixture on Main Street for several decades, Westminster Mayor Mona Becker said, calling the fire "a real tragedy."
Westminster New & Used Furniture store co-owner Cindy Zepp said many in the city knew White as a great person and his shop was a staple of the community.
"It's a horrible thing anytime and even worse this time of year," Zepp said. "And now a lot of people upstairs are displaced, at least for a while, until it can be cleared."
About 30 people escaped or were rescued from 10 apartments above the shop and above the adjoining Johansson's Dining House, at 4 W. Main St., according to the state fire marshal. No injuries were reported among the tenants, though most were displaced from their homes and are being assisted by the Red Cross.
Westminster Fire Department spokesperson Robin Stansbury said one firefighter from the Westminster department was injured and was admitted for overnight monitoring at Carroll Hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, Stansbury said.
"We're obviously devastated to hear the news of Brad's passing," said David Binns, a manager at Trek Bicycle, 1 Railroad Ave., about a block from White's shop. "He's been a local fixture in Westminster for years and years and it's a real shame what happened today."
Firefighters from York and Adams counties in Pennsylvania joined Carroll and Baltimore county fire personnel in responding to the blaze at 5:18 a.m., Monday, and had the fire under control just after 6:30 a.m., Stansbury said.
Fire officials said they believe White was living inside of his shop at 12 W. Main St., and the fire likely started in White's office, which had no sprinkler system. The rest of the building was equipped with sprinklers, the news release stated. The cause of the fire and amount of property damage were unknown as of Monday afternoon.
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