2014 — Jan 30, Fire, home, linked to electric heater, Mom, children, Depoy, KY — 9
–9 Badger. “Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in 2014.” NFPA Journal, Sep/Oct 2015, p. 71.
–9 News Channel 5, Nashville, TN. “Mother, 8 Children Killed in Greenville…Fire.” 1-30-2014
–9 NFPA Journal. “Nine family members are killed in fire linked to electric heater.” 1-31-2014.
Narrative Information
Jan 30: “Greenville, Ky. — A father and his 11-year-old daughter remain hospitalized following a fire that killed his wife and eight other children in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, early Thursday morning. Officials with Vanderbilt University Medical Center said Chad Wilson and his daughter Kylie remained in critical but stable condition on Friday morning….
The fire was reported around 2 a.m. Thursday at a home at 3749 Motes Lane off Highway 62 in the Depoy community, about 4 miles northwest of Greenville. Officials said it appeared the fire started accidentally when combustible material brushed against an electric baseboard heater in one of the bedrooms. There were 11 people inside the home when the fire broke out….
“Muhlenberg County Coroner Tony Armour said the fire occurred at the home of 36-year-old Chad Watson and 35-year-old LaRea Nicole “Nikki” Watson. He said the couple had 9 children ranging from ages 4 to 15.
“Kentucky State Police Trooper Stu Recke said Nikki Watson and her children were found in the master bedroom of the home, part of which had collapsed during the blaze. Recke said that could be an indication they were trying to escape through a window, but investigators aren’t sure. The mother and children were all found together; the ninth person was found between 10 and 15 feet away, Recke said….
“In addition to Nikki Watson, the other victims were identified as 15-year-old Madison Watson, 14-year-old Kaitlyn Watson, 13-year-old Morgan Watson, 9-year-old Emily Watson, 8-year-old Samuel Watson, 6-year-old Raegan Watson, and 4-year-old twin brothers Mark and Nathaniel Watson.
“Chad Watson told first responders his wife and other children were still inside the home. Officials said the heat was so intense, emergency crews could not get inside to rescue the victims….
“The fire broke out in the single-family house just west of Greenville, which is about 130 miles southwest of Louisville in the state’s western coal fields. Greenville had a population of just more than 4,000 people in 2010, census figures show….” (News Channel 5, Nashville, TN. “Mother, 8 Children Killed in Greenville House Fire.” 1-30-2014.)
NFPA: “….According to authorities, eight of the people were found in a master bedroom while the ninth person was found between 10 and 15 feet away. They said the fire started accidentally with combustible material against an electric heater in a bedroom.
“Tragedies like this remind all of us of the importance of the precautions we need to take while heating our homes.
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment.
- Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
- Turn off portable heaters when leaving the room or going to bed….
“More information on heating safety is provided through the ‘Put a Freeze on Winter Fires’ campaign sponsored by NFPA and the United States Fire Administration. NFPA’s Winter Freeze Checklist provides tips for addressing the cold. In addition, our heating safety information, heating safety tips sheet and videos provide valuable tools.”
Badger: “….The devastating Kentucky fire was one of an estimated 1,298,000 fires that firefighters in the United States responded to in 2014. An estimated 386,500 of those fires occurred in residential structures, 107,500 in nonresidential structures, and 804,000 outside of structures or involving vehicles. These fires accounted for an estimated 3,275 deaths, 2,795 of which occurred in residential structures, 65 in nonresidential structures, and 415 in vehicle or outside fires.” (Badger, Stephen G. “Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in 2014.” NFPA Journal, Sep/Oct 2015, p. 71.)
Sources
Badger, Stephen G. “Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in 2014.” NFPA [National Fire Protection Association] Journal, Sep/Oct 2015, p. 71.
News Channel 5, Nashville, TN. “Mother, 8 Children Killed in Greenville House Fire.” 1-30-2014. Accessed 2-18-2014 at: http://www.newschannel5.com/story/24586873/multiple-deaths-reported-in-greenville-house-fire
National Fire Protection Association. “Nine family members are killed in fire linked to electric heater.” NFPA Journal Update, 1-31-2014. Accessed at: http://nfpa.typepad.com/fpw//2014/01/nine-family-members-are-killed-in-fire-linked-to-electric-heater.html