Memphis Fire Called Deadliest Fire in Almost a Century
Source The Commercial Appeal
Fire officials said 10 people were in the home in the 1100 block of Severson Avenue, off Walker Avenue, when crews arrived at 1:22 a.m.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but Sweat said it appeared to start in the living room.
Family members identified adult victims as Carol Collier, 56; LaKisha Ward, 27, and Eloise Futrell, 61. The children ranged in age from 3 to 17, family members said.
The residential structure had light smoke showing when firefighters arrived. Firefighters entered the building, and they started locating victims. They removed 10 victims from the house. Four adults and three children were pronounced dead at the scene.
"After a heroic effort by firefighters and paramedics, three victims that were rescued were transported to Le Bonheur in extremely critical condition," Sweat said.
"According to our records this is the most tragic loss of life in a single fire incident since the 1920s," she said. "The hearts of the men and women of the department are heavy and deeply touched from the dispatchers who took the call to the first responders who were on the scene."
Sweat said it was her understanding that responders received a 911 call from a cell phone inside the residence. By the time fire crews arrived, 10 people were trapped.
Neighbors said firefighters pulled victims from the one-story brick house and laid them on the front lawn. The bodies were covered with a tarp.
"I've never seen firemen cry, but they were bawling like babies when they brought the children out," said Shondra Hampton, whose family lives next door. "We've all lived over there for 40 years and we are just devastated."
Family members said that LaKisha Ward ironed the children's clothes for school and was preparing to go to bed. The family said the father of the seven children had left to go to the store and when he came back, he saw the chaotic scene.
A few hours after the fire, a red toy truck and part of a bike remained untouched by the fire on the porch of the burned house on Severson. Friends and relatives ignored crime scene tape and went inside the home to see the devastation.
Veronica Trammell, the mother of LaKisha Ward and grandmother of one of the children, Alonzo Ward, drove 4 1/2 hours from Fayette, Mississippi to get to the scene.
"I know my daughter didn't want to leave Alonzo here with me that's why God took them on," she told reporters.
She called her daugther's boyfriend at the hospital with the one surviving child, telling him, "Hold Cameron's hand until I get there."
Family members said Cameron Jett is the child at LeBonheur.
"I've seen some hard things where we lost family members back to back but never in a group like this. This is by far the hardest and most devastating thing ever," said Jerry Brack, the cousin of victim Eloise Futrell,
Mary Whitmore, the sister of Carol Collier who also died in the fire, stood on the sidewalk outside the house crying Monday morning.
"She always tried to help everybody," Whitmore said. "I can't believe this."
Whitmore said her sister had lived in the house with friends for the past few years.
Eloise Futrell was grandmother to all of the children who died.
"They are all gone," said Futrell's niece, Elisa Weathersby. "Our hearts are ripped in two."
Futrell's family walked around the burned house and saw glass knocked out of a back bedroom window, which didn't have security bars like some of the others. Sofa cushions were stacked on the ground outside the window.
By early afternoon, people started coming by the house offering prayer, condolences and food to family members.
Michelle Collins dropped off a teddy bear and balloons. "It just hurt my heart," she said. "I have three boys of my own. We have security bars on our windows and I can't imagine trying to get out of them."
According to property records, the six-room, brick veneer house was built in 1972 and was worth $27,700.
"Our whole city is in mourning for the loss of much of one family," Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.
He asked Memphians to take time out to pray for family members remaining, to give them strength and courage to move forward.
Sweat said nothing in training could prepare for the heartbreaking event.
"We are trained to be strong in the face of adversity and personal human loss but we are also fathers, mothers, brothers sisters aunts uncles and grandparents. Many times our minds cannot forget what our eyes have seen," Sweat said. "We will be sure that we take care of our first responders over the next coming days."
Copyright 2016 - The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.
