NEED TO KNOW
- Three young children have reportedly died in a house fire in Jackson County, Kentucky
- A 4-year-old child is also being treated at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio
- Three adults were also transported to the Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington for injuries sustained in the fire
Three young children have reportedly died in a house fire in Jackson County, Kentucky that also left another child and three adults seriously injured
On Tuesday, Dec. 23, the Kentucky State Police provided assistance for a blaze on Upper Dry Fork Road, according to local outlets WKYT, WZTV and LEX18.
The incident occurred just before midnight and resulted in the deaths of a 7-month-old, a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, the authorities said in a release, the outlets reported.
A 4-year-old child was also airlifted to the hospital for emergency medical attention before being transferred to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, according to LEX18.
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Kentucky State Police/Facebook
Three adults, who have been identified as Tyler Monst, 23, Morgan Johnson, 22, and Florence Johnson, 76, were also transported to the Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington for injuries sustained in the fire, according to WKYT.
An uncle to the children told WKYT that Monst and Morgan Johnson were the parents of the children involved in the incident, while Florence Johnson is their grandmother.
“It’s just a sad time for our whole community. The loss of children and lives,” neighbor Orvel Hisel told the outlet.
He added that many fundraisers are set to be created for the family.
“What kind of means can we help that family? There’s a child that been flown to Columbus. That’s a ways off. If the family can go there they are going to want to,” he said.
Kentucky State Police/Facebook
McKee Police Chief Zachary Bryant revealed the home was engulfed in flames when he arrived at the scene.
“I responded off duty and was the first on scene. When I came up on the home, it was fully involved in flames. Once the fire department got there, I assisted them with trying to extinguish the fire best we could,” Bryant told LEX18.
“Christmas is meant for joy and happiness,” he added. “Obviously this community is not experiencing that this year.”
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire. PEOPLE has contacted the Kentucky State Police and Kentucky State Fire Marshal for comment.
