DATE: Tuesday, March 11, 1997               TAG: 9703110313
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   39 lines

WHEELCHAIR-BOUND MAN DIES IN FIRE

A 72-year-old paraplegic died early Monday morning after a fire swept through his home.

The blaze occurred in the 3400 block of Bessie St., a quiet neighborhood located in Norcova, not far from N. Military Highway and Azalea Gardens Road.

Fire and paramedical services spokesman Jack Goldhorn said dispatchers received a call about the fire at 3:37 a.m. When firefighters arrived a few minutes later, the saw heavy smoke and fire erupting from the single-story house.

One firefighter was injured. Rick Mercer cut his hand on some glass and required several stitches, Goldhorn said.

Inside, they found Kenneth C. Messer. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Goldhorn said. The cause of death was not known.

Goldhorn said Messer, who had a history of diabetes and had had a leg amputated, used a wheelchair. He was found in his bedroom, but the fire started in the den area of the house.

Several factors contributed to the deadly blaze, Goldhorn said. The fire, he said, was the result of ``careless smoking and apparently had been smoldering for some time.'' Also, there were no batteries in the smoke detector.

Goldhorn said Messer lived alone, but had a caretaker who stopped by frequently. Several family members at the house later Monday declined to comment.

It took about 20 minutes for firefighters to bring the fire under control. Goldhorn did not have an estimate on the amount of damage to the home.

Goldhorn stressed the importance of checking smoke detectors and replacing the batteries.

A good rule of thumb, he said, is to replace the batteries the same time of the year when you change the clocks for daylight-saving time. KEYWORDS: FIRE FATALITY

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