Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>5 Children Killed, Overnight Care Fire
Cat Herder 06:26 AM 08-13-2019
https://www.wbir.com/article/news/na...pPi-fi-R55i5WY

"The children haven't been formally identified, but the Erie Fire Department says the dead range in age from 8 months to 7 years. The owner was hospitalized after the fire Sunday. Erie fire officials say the children were staying overnight at a house that had been turned into a day care center.

The fire, reported at about 1:15 a.m. Sunday, was funneling out of every first-floor window when firefighters arrived, Erie Chief Fire Inspector John Widomski told the Erie Times-News. He said the blaze appeared to have started in the living room area on the first floor.

The department's two fire inspectors and three Erie police detectives trained in fire investigations are working to determine the cause.

Valerie Lockett-Slupski, standing across the street from the fire-damaged house, told the newspaper she was the grandmother of four of the children — two boys and two girls — and that they were staying at the home because their parents were working overnight.

"So, we are all at a loss, trying to figure out how this happened," Lockett-Slupski said.

Erie police detectives told the newspaper that the owner was listed in stable condition after being flown to UPMC Mercy. Chief Guy Santone of the Erie Fire Department said a neighbor was also injured.

The Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership lists the Harris Family Daycare as "a 24 hour, 7 days a week childcare service including holidays."
Reply
Cat Herder 07:18 AM 08-13-2019
I don't know for sure if Pennsylvania has waking regulations (Provider must be awake) yet or not, but think this case will be worth following. It will feed into regulations of future overnight care, for sure.
Reply
happymom 08:57 AM 08-13-2019
If this isn't the most heartbreaking thing I've ever read....
Reply
Cat Herder 08:59 AM 08-13-2019
Originally Posted by happymom:
If this isn't the most heartbreaking thing I've ever read....
I only wish. The Jessica Tata Story holds that record, here.
Reply
happymom 09:01 AM 08-13-2019
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
I only wish. The Jessica Tata Story holds that record, here.
She is the one who left the kids and went to Target, right? That is very sad, too. This one says the father of 3 of the children was also the firefighter which just ripped my heart out.
Reply
Cat Herder 09:05 AM 08-13-2019
Originally Posted by happymom:
She is the one who left the kids and went to Target, right? That is very sad, too. This one says the father of 3 of the children was also the firefighter which just ripped my heart out.
Yes, she was. It was intentional. Then she fled.

I read about him, too. He was dispatched on a false alarm call across town. Sounds like divine intervention, to me. A nightmare, for sure, but can you imagine if he had been the first to respond with full involvement, flames showing? We'd be reading about his death this morning, too. The children's mother, any siblings and his family will need him.
Reply
happymom 09:34 AM 08-13-2019
Oh I didn't realize Tata's was intentional!
I just thought she was stupid/negligent, what an asshat! =(
Reply
Cat Herder 09:53 AM 08-13-2019
Originally Posted by happymom:
Oh I didn't realize Tata's was intentional!
I just thought she was stupid/negligent, what an asshat! =(
"She set two fires at Taylor High School in Katy as a freshman in retaliation for being disciplined.

An assistant principal, who was there in 2002, said he sent Tata to in-school suspension for 20 days for misbehavior, including cursing at a teacher. Instead of reporting to the teacher supervising her discipline, she set fires to towel dispensers in two restrooms.

"She was bad," Robert "Danny" Gex testified. "She was a bad and evil person."

It gets worse from there.

This new case will make changes to legislation, too. I have not seen any updates, so far.
Reply
happymom 10:02 AM 08-13-2019
Makes me feel soooo so sad/physically ill thinking of both of these cases
Reply
springv 04:42 PM 08-13-2019
I saw this yesterday on my local news app and it made me wonder if they were licensed, what was their ratios per class and why they didnt have some smoke detectors in every level of the home (if it was a multi level home)
Reply
Tags:evacuation, evacuation crib, evacuation site, evening hours, fire, fire alarm, fire drill, fire safety, overnight care
Reply Up