‘It’s our worst nightmare’ : Tuesday-morning fire claims 5 Bentonville children
Posted on Wednesday, March 26, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/60054/
BENTONVILLE — Bentonville firefighters had to confront their worst fears Tuesday morning after finding the bodies of five children in a house fire.
“ It’s a firefighter’s worst nightmare, ” Bentonville Fire Chief Dan White said following Tuesday’s news conference at the Bentonville Public Library. “ Having children trapped in a fire and not being able to rescue them. It was already too late when we got there. ”
Firefighters retrieved the bodies of Kristan Frazier, 13; Kimberly Frazier, 11; Katelyn Mahmens, 9; Kaila Frazier, 8; and Kiya Frazier, 5, from the home. All five were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Bentonville Police Chief James Allen. The children were found in the upstairs portion of the 1 1 / 2 story residence at 402 S. W. B St.
Firefighters responded to a 1: 24 a. m. call concerning the fire. Battalion Chief Larry Horton, who was the first on the scene, reported that the house was engulfed with flames and five children were trapped inside, White said.
The children’s parents — Jamie Dale Frazier and Karry A. Mahmens Frazier — were able to escape after being awakened by a smoke detector but were unable to get upstairs to wake the girls because of overwhelming heat and smoke, White said.
The couple went to a neighbor’s home seeking assistance, and 911 was called, White said.
“ The dad tried to go into the residence even after firefighters arrived, ” Allen said. “ He was really distraught. ”
Firefighters entered the residence as the fire was making its way downstairs, White said. Firefighters made an aggressive fight and search for the children, White said.
A large fan that fell on the stairway hampered firefighters’ efforts in get up the extremely narrow stairway, White said. “ I couldn’t walk up the stairway straight, ” White said. “ I had to turn sideways. ”
Firefighters found two of the girls in their beds, while the other three children were on the floor in sleeping positions.
“ It’s our worst nightmare, ” White said. “ It’s something we all dread. ”
Allen said deaths involving children are also a police officer’s worst nightmare.
“ This is a tragedy for the family, a tragedy for our community and a tragedy for our school district, ” Allen said.
Jeremiah Rich said his wife, Hannah, woke him up shortly after 1 a. m. and told him the neighbor’s house was on fire. They called 911.
“ We tried to see if there was anything we could do, but there wasn’t, ” Jeremiah Rich said. “ We stood out here and watched and prayed and learned that the five kids were inside. It’s sad. ”
The Riches have lived at 207 S. W. Fourth St. for almost a year. They occasionally spoke to their neighbors. Jeremiah Rich said the girls dressed as witches when they came to his home trick-or-treating on Halloween.
“ There was so much smoke you couldn’t see the house, ” said Clifford Peters, Hannah Rich’s father.
Robert Mahmens, along with family friends, spent Tuesday boarding up the house and trying to salvage any of his sister’s and her husband’s belongings.
“ They are tore up, ” Mahmens said. “ I wouldn’t know how to pick up the pieces after losing my entire family. I hope we pull together and help them find the strength to do just that. ”
“ They were really cool kids with very bright futures, ” Mahmens said. “ It’s a terrible tragedy. It’s something words can’t describe.
“ It’s horrible, and I hope that no one else ever has to go through this. ”
Peters said that on Sunday — Easter morning — he saw the children get on one of Word of Life Fellowship Church’s vans to go to church. His wife, later that day, heard the parents talking about the Body of Christ with the children.
Peters said he believes it is a sign that God was working in the children’s lives.
Bentonville police officers found small amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana, along with drug paraphernalia, in the residence. Allen said there was no sign that the methamphetamine was manufactured at the home.
Police will send the material, along with a space heater, to the Arkansas Crime Laboratory, and the bodies will be sent to the state medical examiner for autopsies.
The space heater was in the room with the children. The Crime Lab may be able to determine whether the heater caused the fire, Allen said.
Firefighters found the remnants of a smoke detector upstairs but did not find a battery, White said.
According to Allen, there have been telephone calls regarding the children to the hotline of the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services.
Police had responded to the residence numerous times for noise, domestic and animal complaints, Allen said.
More than 40 Bentonville firefighters were at the scene, along with some Rogers firefighters, White said.
Bentonville firefighter Jake Feemster did not suffer any serious injuries when portions of the roof collapsed on him, White said.
Bentonville firefighters on Tuesday underwent a critical-incident stress debriefing and will undergo another in 48 hours.
“ They are dealing and coping with it the best they can, but these things have a way of hitting you later on, ” White said.
An account has been set up at Arvest Bank to assist the family, Mahmens said.