Daughter of woman severely burned in St. Charles fire speaks out, asks for community’s help
‘Some people speed to the hospital, I was going slow because I’m like this could be the last time I can think of them alive.’
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A St. Charles family is asking the community for help after their home was destroyed, and a mother and daughter were left badly burned.
The stairs are almost the only thing left in the St. Charles home. Video shows the aftermath of a fire that swept through the entire townhome. The two women are still fighting for their lives in the ICU a week later.
“Some people speed to the hospital, I was going slow because I’m like this could be the last time I can think of them alive,” said Anya Kelly, the daughter of Rachel Newport.
Anya Kelly’s mother and grandmother were trapped inside their home as it went up in flames. She says she was on her way home from the night of April 18 when she found out.
“It’s something you never expect to happen to anybody you know, much less your mother and grandmother, they’re the two most important people in my life,” said Kelly.
Anya’s mother, Rachel Newport, and grandmother, Lana Newport, remain in the hospital. Rachel hasn’t been awake since the incident; Lana was briefly awake. Both remain intubated. They have both had skin graft surgeries for their burns. Anya says her grandmother will probably need another.
Her mother was trapped inside her bedroom, neighbors say you could hear her screams and banging on the window. When St. Charles Fire Department responded, she had to be intubated immediately from smoke inhalation.
“The majority of fatalities from fires is caused from inhalation injuries from smoke, not actual burns or trauma from the fire,” said Captain Tyler Beauchamp.
Captain Tyler Beauchamp wasn’t on the scene but says this fire needed a lot of resources because the two women were trapped and the fire was still ablaze.
“Most of our incidents require a fire attack to be addressed or a rescue to be addressed separately. In this particular case, when you show up and you have to address fire attack immediately and rescue immediately, it’s a no-brainer, that’s going to need a second alarm, that’s going to get more resources here quick,” said Captain Beauchamp.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, the entire building has been condemned, leaving 5 households displaced.
Anya and her family wanted to thank the fire department swift and heroic actions, unsure that her mother and grandmother would still be here without them.
“Luckily, another department was having lunch with them, so they had 2 ambulances there, without that coincidence, one of them may not be here right now,” said Kelly.
The family lost everything in this fire, from car keys to basic necessities. A GoFundMe has been started to help them get back on their feet, the link can be found here.
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