Investigation into house fire where father lost 6 kids could take months, officials say
An investigation into a house fire in South Bend, Indiana, from which a 67-year-old Christian father managed to save himself but was unable to help any of his six children escape could take several months to complete, fire officials say.
“There is no concrete timeline that can be afforded at this time,” fire officials said in a statement cited by WNDU last Friday morning. “It is frustrating to and for the members of the Smith family, the public, and the investigation, but the coordination of all interested parties must be adhered to.”
A day after the Jan. 21 fire, the father, David Lee Smith, who had full custody of all of his children, told local digital creator Cindy Johnson in an interview cited by 88.1 WVPE that he was with them at their home when the fire erupted.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The fire caused the deaths of all his young children: 7-month-old Faith Smith, 4-year-old D’Angelo Smith, 5-year-old Deontay Smith, 9-year-old Davida Smith, 10-year-old Demetris Smith, and 11-year-old Angel Smith.
Smith said there was nothing he could do but save himself.
The older adult father recalled how he was on the upper floor of the two-story house watching TV in his room when one of his sons told him he smelled smoke and suggested it was on fire. He said when he looked down the stairs of the house, he noticed smoke coming up the steps.
"So I run down there to see where the fire is, and all of a sudden it said, WHOOSH! And I had to jump back up the stairs, and I immediately told them (children) all to get together. And I put a blanket over them and started kicking out the windows,” he recalled.
He explained that the smoke became too thick for him, and he started to pass out, so he put his head out a window to catch his breath.
“I tried to call back to where the babies and stuff was at. I could just get part of the way and the smoke was just taking all my oxygen from me," he recalled.
Realizing he was unable to save his children, Smith said he decided to jump out the window then try saving his children via the front door.
“When I got out there and there were three other dudes who helped me kick the door in, but then the flames just threw us back out,” he said.
Elijah Leciano, a neighbor and friend, who started a GoFundMe campaign to help the family in the aftermath of the fire, told CBS Chicago that when he met with Smith after the fire, he was in shock.
“I went and found him at the hospital, and he was in shock,” Leciano said.
Leciano wrote on the GoFundMe campaign which appears to have been suspended, that Smith lost everything including his truck.
“Our hope is to raise enough money to put his babies to rest in a beautiful place. Also to eliminate any medical bills that will arise out of the treatment Angel Smith will receive and any future surger[ies] she [may] need to aid in her recovery from severe burns,” Leciano said. “Please find it in your hearts to help, if possible, David needs [c]lothes, shoes, hygienes (sic), a new vehicle because his truck was lost due to the fire as well. He is in need of a huge blessing, be that blessing today and donate.”
The South Bend Tribune said the house fire was the deadliest one for the city of South Bend since April 18, 1929, when six people died in a fire at a home in River Park.
Contact: leonardo.blair@christianpost.com Follow Leonardo Blair on Twitter: @leoblair Follow Leonardo Blair on Facebook: LeoBlairChristianPost
