DAYTON, Ky. — Four people, including a 3-year-old, were taken to the hospital after a house fire in Dayton, Ky. Tuesday morning.
Bellevue-Dayton Fire Chief Brent Schafer said crews responded to a home in the 500 block of Fifth Avenue in Dayton just before 8 a.m. Tuesday for a reported fire. As the fire escalated, Schafter said they called in assistance from Newport, Fort Thomas and Southgate.
“I don’t, I don’t know how it lit up so fast. I just don’t know what happened,” said Marshall Kilgore, who lived at the home with his family.
The start of Tuesday morning was like any other morning for Kligore and his family, but that changed when he heard screaming upstairs.
“I took off running upstairs, and it was my 6-year-old that was screaming, my little girl Paisley. And when I did, I grabbed her up, immediately saw all the smoke, and started screaming, 'Fire,'” said Kilgore.
Kilgore gave his daughter to his fiancée and then went back up to get their 2-year-old son. Once he was safe, Kilgore went back upstairs, this time into the main bedroom where the fire was, looking for his 3-year-old son.
He said the smoke was so thick he couldn’t see where anything was.
“He’s autistic and he’s nonverbal. He’s 3 years old. I finally heard him, and I went for him and I grabbed him, and I come running out, and the whole side of his body is burned,” said Kilgore. “I just hope my son’s gonna be alright, that’s the main thing. I just want my son to be alright.”
Kilgore’s son was originally taken to Cincinnati Children’s, but has been transferred to a burn unit in Dayton, Ohio.
Kilgore, his 6-year-old and 2-year-old, were taken to St. Elizabeth Fort Thomas, but have been released.
There were seven people in the home when the fire started, according to Kilgore. He, his fiancée and 5 kids — including 2 teenagers.
Although Kilgore and his family were saved from the fire, along with their two dogs, they lost all their material belongings.
“Everything, we lost everything,” said Kilgore. “And my kids start school tomorrow. At 8 a.m. they have to be at school. We lost everything, we don’t have nothing.”
The Red Cross is providing assistance to Kilgore and his family. Kilgore said his neighbors have also been very helpful.
The family plans to start fundraising efforts in the near future. We will update this article when that information becomes available.
