CLAY W.Va. — Total disbelief and devastation is how Clay Elementary School Principal Michelle Paxton described her feelings when she heard the news that three students at the school had died as a result of a house fire over the weekend.
An 8-year-old second grade girl and two preschool girls ages 3 and 4, along with a 6-month-old boy died in a Main Street home in Clay late Saturday night when the structure caught ablaze.
“This has been one of the worst tragedies that I have experienced,” Paxton said. “There is really no words to describe. There is nothing worse than the loss of a child. This was such a devastating fire. It’s devastating for everyone. The students, the adults, the community. It is just a terrible tragedy.
“They were just great kids. They were very happy here at school, very pleasant to be around. They are going to be greatly missed.”
The four children killed were foster children. The two foster parents, a teenager and a 2-year old boy escaped the home after attempts to rescue the other four children as the quickly moving fire engulfed the entire house.
State Fire Marshal Ken Tyree said on Tuesday’s MetroNews ‘Talkline’ that the construction of the home contributed to how fast the fire spread.
“The home was a balloon frame construction home,” he said. “It was a near, if not 100 year old home where you end up with not having fire stops to stop the fire when it does get into the walls. Walls are built to where it basically is from the floor to the roof without any fire stops. It was a fast-moving fire unfortunately once it penetrated the walls.
“With the contribution to windows being penetrated due to the fire or the breaking of windows by people trying to rescue people out of the home, several factors fall into that (fast moving fire). It just ends up being a very tragic event that many, along with the family, mourn this loss.”
Counselors from all over Clay County were on hand Tuesday at Clay Elementary, which has approximately 500 students, to help faculty, staff, and students deal with the loss of the children. Paxton, who has served as the school principal for 10 years, said the counselors will be on hand for as long as the school needs them as she understands that grief comes in many stages. She did note that the elementary school does have an in-house counselor and school psychologist.
“We are a very close-knit community,” Paxton said. “Our parents are welcome in our school and we have an open door policy with the community. Many of our teachers, their children attend our school.”
A candlelight vigil is planned for Tuesday evening at 6 in front of the new courthouse in Clay to remember the children, where Paxton anticipates many to attend.
A memorial has been set up at the foot of the steps that remain on the property of where the home once stood with flowers, balloons and stuffed animals, and a Facebook fundraiser page has been posted to raise money for the families. The page has raised over $7,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
Being foster children, the kids were under the care of state Department of Health and Human Resources’ Bureau for Children and Families. The DHHR said in a released statement on Monday that an in-person visit by a DHHR worker was last made to the foster home last month and no issues were noted.
Tyree said that it appears the house had smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, a fire extinguisher, and the family had practiced escape drills with an escape plan in place.
“You have to prepare as much as possible but when it comes down to the event occurring, many things come into play,” Tyree said. “Panic, fast-moving fire quickly spreading throughout the home. You have a number of factors that unfortunately played into that.
“There ought to be some accommodations to the fact that there were efforts made with working smoke alarms and practicing escape plans that were in the home.”
The names of the children killed have not been released yet as the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is working on positive identification.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office said in a news release Monday that upon examination of the scene, investigators have ruled the fire to be undetermined in cause but most probably accidental.