Mom loses three kids in Centralia, WA house fire

[skymama 35]

Some of you on the west coast might have heard about this fire that happened on Friday. The mom is my cousin (our dads are brothers). She was sleeping downstairs when the fire broke out and she couldn't make it up the stairs to save her three kids who were sleeping there. They were two boys and a girl, ages 12, 10 and 6.

A gofundme has been set up to help her with costs of the funeral and to help her rebuild her life again. If you're able to help, please click here.

And, please, please review your own fire escape plan at your own house. If you live in a two story house, how are you getting your family out of the second floor? We always think it won't happen to us. Well, it does sometimes. Our hearts are very heavy at this time. She had a beautiful and loving family.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[david3 0]

Very sorry for your loss.

[GD64 1]

Very sad, sorry for you and your family.

Not to sound like a sap....under such a horrible tragedy , but smoke detectors in every bedroom and in hallways outside sleeping areas a must!! Ideally, inter-connected both 120 volt power with 9 volt battery back-up. Change ALL 9 volt batteries when you set clocks ahead in spring, and again when set back in fall.

Again, condolences.

[Amazon 7]

skymama

Some of you on the west coast might have heard about this fire that happened on Friday. The mom is my cousin (our dads are brothers). She was sleeping downstairs when the fire broke out and she couldn't make it up the stairs to save her three kids who were sleeping there. They were two boys and a girl, ages 12, 10 and 6.

A gofundme has been set up to help her with costs of the funeral and to help her rebuild her life again. If you're able to help, please click here.

And, please, please review your own fire escape plan at your own house. If you live in a two story house, how are you getting your family out of the second floor? We always think it won't happen to us. Well, it does sometimes. Our hearts are very heavy at this time. She had a beautiful and loving family.

Yup.. heard about that one on the news yesterday.... :)

Sorry for your loss Andrea

[BillyVance 34]

I'm sorry Andrea. Hate it for your family.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[skymama 35]

Quote

Not to sound like a sap....under such a horrible tragedy , but smoke detectors in every bedroom and in hallways outside sleeping areas a must!! Ideally, inter-connected both 120 volt power with 9 volt battery back-up. Change ALL 9 volt batteries when you set clocks ahead in spring, and again when set back in fall.

No, it's ok. I want everyone to be reviewing their fire safety plans. They were living in a rental house after recently being divorced. I don't know if the smoke alarms were working or not. The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but here's a video from the vigil last night.

http://q13fox.com/2016/03/05/family-remembers-three-children-killed-in-centralia-house-fire/#

Thank you all for your concerns and donations. It's going to be a long road ahead for my cousin.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[obelixtim 100]

In England where I am working at the moment, most houses are 2 or more floors, and none of them have fire escapes from upper floors. Most kitchens are on the ground floor, and usually there is one internal stairway. In a fire, they would act like a chimney, making escape impossible, even if smoke alarms give a warning.

Last place I lived, (3rd floor) I went to the hardware store and bought rope and wood, and made a rope ladder that I kept in my room, which I could attach to the window frame and escape that way. Also bought a steel crowbar to smash the window out, as the windows could not be opened far enough to get out. In a fire you would be trapped.

No one here seems to think its a problem, or seems to even consider the danger, but it is something I am very aware of. Like skydiving, always have a plan, an escape route, or another option if things go wrong

Very sorry for your loss. It is devastating to lose a child, but losing 3 in such a way is unimaginable. RIP.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

Fire codes in the US require 2 exits from each floor for rentals. Codes for residences are a bit less strict but are catching up some (new construction).

You can't have a bedroom in the basement unless at least one of the windows is big enough. I have neighbors who recently dug a big hole and installed a large enough window in the basement so that it would be legal.

You are supposed to have a way out of a second (or higher) floor. It can be roof access (you are trapped on the roof, but not in the building) or an "escape system". This can be a simple knotted rope and a strong enough hook, or something like an escape ladder.

I lived in a 2nd floor apartment with my (now ex) wife, we had the "knotted rope" in the living room. I had a quick discussion with the landlord, went to the hardware store and bought a ladder like I linked above. He deducted the cost of it from the rent. We kept it in the bedroom, right under the window. Never needed it, but it was nice to know it was there.

Smoke detectors (working ones) are required in all rentals and all new construction (exact requirements like how many per floor vary).

Sadly, many fire deaths are preventable. Far too many people die because the smoke detector wasn't working.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[legalart 0]

Sorry Andrea, life is so difficult at times.

[JohnMitchell 14]

I can't imagine the heartache your family is going through right now.

[skymama 35]

My Aunt told me they are all so raw right now. I haven't talked to Sue yet, I've been giving her some space. I just can't stop thinking about them. There is just so much to the tradegy. It's one thing to lose all of your belongings to a fire, another to lose your kids, even more to lose your kids while you were at the house...I worry about Sue being able to move on and live a life so different than what she thought she was going to have. We have a very loving family and we're all up to the task of helping however she needs. I hope we can help her pull through.

Thank-you all so much for your help and kind words.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[Amazon 7]

skymama

My Aunt told me they are all so raw right now. I haven't talked to Sue yet, I've been giving her some space. I just can't stop thinking about them. There is just so much to the tradegy. It's one thing to lose all of your belongings to a fire, another to lose your kids, even more to lose your kids while you were at the house...I worry about Sue being able to move on and live a life so different than what she thought she was going to have. We have a very loving family and we're all up to the task of helping however she needs. I hope we can help her pull through.

Thank-you all so much for your help and kind words.

Probably one of the worst things in this life is to outlive your children, no matter how it occurs. Be there for her... she will need all the family support she can get.

[skymama 35]

My Uncle has written to my Dad about the fire. Here is an edited version of the letter…

It will be a while before the official fire report is ready, but here are preliminary findings. An electrical fire appears to have started in a hallway near the front door. According to a few firemen who were at the scene, the nearby stairwell created a chimney effect, which brought the carbon monoxide right up to the kids’ bedrooms quickly.

Shortly after midnight, our cousin, Sue, heard a loud bang and could see lights and smoke in the Kitchen, near the base of the stairs located next to her downstairs bedroom. She ran up the stairs to get to the kids’ bedrooms and was beaten back by flames. She ran back and threw some clothes on to help fight the heat and tried again to reach the kids. By this time the hallway was engulfed in flames. She ran outside with her phone calling 911. The upstairs was now all on fire and the windows were blown out. Fireman got there in a hurry but too late.

The fireman said that the carbon monoxide would have knocked the kids out in the first 30 seconds and then the full fire and heat engulfed the upstairs in 3 to 4 minutes. It appears Ben, Maddy and Sam went to sleep and never woke up. Thankfully, it seems they did not suffer.

Thanks to all of you who have made a donation, your support means so much.

[chedlin 0]

I lost one 10 year old nephew a few years ago. My Sister in law didn't need space, she needed as much love and support as the family could offer.

I cannot imagine the pain your family is going through. My deepest condolences.

Now to go check my smoke detectors again... My house has 9 ionic that are interconnected to alert us, 3 more photoelectric and 2 thermal sensors connected to a monitored alarm. I usually think it's excessive, but now, not so much.

[skymama 35]

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I lost one 10 year old nephew a few years ago. My Sister in law didn't need space, she needed as much love and support as the family could offer.

The weekend was tough for them. They had to go back to the house and gather items that could be saved, they were still in shock, and they had to identify the bodies of the children. It was a lot, and their phones were ringing off the hook. My Uncle just flat out stopped answering his phone. Since I wrote that, I have reached out to her and we will continue to do so. Thanks for your condolences and I'm sorry about the loss of your nephew as well.

We've already checked our smoke detectors and figured out an escape route, and we're going to get a carbon monoxide detector too. We didn't think of it being a necessity because we don't have any gas lines to the house, but now it appears they can be helpful in every home.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon