INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Independence Fire Chief Jimmy Walker provided an update Monday on a deadly July 4th house fire and the importance of working smoke detectors.
"Their home, while having a smoke detector, had no working smoke detectors in the residence," Walker said.
The Friday fireworks-related house fire killed 13-year-old Jerilynn Brown, who was discovered in the home. She successfully battled bone cancer just two weeks before her death.
Chief Walker also confirmed an adult male, who KSHB 41 confirmed through family members was Marc Anthony Young, Sr., also died from injuries suffered in fire.
The family told KSHB 41 that Young suffered burns to 96% of his body.
"This is a great opportunity to not only educate people on general fireworks safety, but you want to make sure that everyone has working smoke detectors in their homes," Walker said.
The investigation into the fire's cause revealed fireworks used from the night of July 3rd smoldered and caught the back of the house on fire.
"It was a breezy night," Walker said. "Hours can elapse while a fire smolders... We always have to worry about smoldering fires and the fact that they can go undiscovered for a number of hours and eventually can become out of hand quickly."
Witnesses told KSHB 41 they compared the smoke and flames to two billowing cyclones.
"It was just black smoke barreling up in the air," said Shannon Anderson, a witness. "I'm realizing that fire is not going down. It's just, the flames kept getting higher, the black just kept getting blacker and blacker."
Chief Walker took Monday night's news conference as an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of smoke detectors in the home.
The Independence Fire Department will help residents install smoke detectors in their homes. Walker said that many city fire departments will also provide that service.
According to Chief Walker, Independence had 12 fire incidents that involved fireworks in the last week.
Walker said the city is experiencing a normal fire workload this year, except for a few fatal structure fires.
"I can’t say for sure that a smoke detector would’ve saved lives in this instance," he said. "But what I can say is that it wouldn’t hurt," Walker said. "As every fatality we’ve had this year has been the result of no working smoke detectors and the structures they were killed in."
The family of Marc Anthony Young Sr. will hold a dinner to help with funeral costs on at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 12.
The $10 Mexican food dinner will be held at The Coach Lite Club, 2103 S. 34th St. in Kansas City, Kansas.
There is also a GoFundMe to benefit the Young family. Click here to donate.
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
