Fire Investigator James Whitmire, right, discusses the circumstances that led to the tragic fire with fellow Fire Investigator Henry McElvain, center, and Assistant Fire Marshal Cecil Barber.
photo by Bruce Garner
A mother and her two young daughters died in an early morning house fire on Lee Highway.
The victims were identified as Lakisa Williams, 27; Kierra Williams, 8, and Kylaye Williams, 2.
Fire Department spokesman Bruce Garner said the house was occupied by two adults, their two children, and a nephew.
The father, Karl Williams, 28, said his wife was awakened by her alarm clock, and, when she got up, she discovered a fire in the living room. She alerted her husband to the fire, and they decided to get out a bedroom window.
Mr. Williams told firefighters that he got his nephew, Brelon Kelley, 15; wife and two children all together to a window in a back bedroom and busted out the window to get out.
When he climbed out the window and turned around to help them get out, Mr. Williams said his wife and two children were gone.
His nephew told fire investigators that he heard the mother say she needed to get her phone and went to another bedroom. Her two daughters apparently followed her and never returned.
The nephew said he waited as long as he could, but it was getting too hot, so he followed his uncle out the window.
The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 4:56 a.m. and responded with several fire companies to 7120 Lee Highway. Battalion Chief Clay Ingle said a large portion of the house was engulfed in flames when the first firefighters arrived on the scene. While firefighters with Engine 8 pulled hoselines off and started fighting the fire, firefighters with Squad 3 rushed inside to search for the victims.
Lieutenant David Tallent said the smoke was too dense to see anything, so they used their thermal imaging camera and found three victims in a back bedroom. Lt. Tallent said the mother was found on the floor, and the two children were found on the bed. The firefighters quickly carried the children out of the house, and administered CPR, but it was clear to the firefighters that it was too late to save the children, or the mother.
The family was renting the house. The father said he did not recall hearing the smoke alarm when the fire was discovered. It was later found the smoke alarm did not have a battery in it.
The Chattanooga Police Department’s Major Crimes Division and I.D. Division are also investigating the incident, which is standard protocol when fatalities are involved. Hamilton County EMS, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue and volunteers with the American Red Cross also provided assistance on the scene.
If confirmed as fire-related fatalities by the Medical Examiner’s Office, the number of fire-related fatalities in Chattanooga will climb to six so far for 2005.
The cause of the deadly house fire appears to be accidental. Captain James Whitmire with the Fire Investigation Division said it was combustibles too close to a wall heater. The “combustibles” he referred to was a couch, which had been placed up against the wall heater in the living room.
Early this morning, as the family slept inside and the temperature outside dropped, Captain Whitmire believes the wall heater cycled on and eventually ignited the couch, which was only inches from the heater.
The dollar loss was estimated at $50,000.
Karl and LaKisa Williams were high school sweethearts, who had been married over five years.