BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — A tragic house fire early Friday morning on State Route 292 south of Turkey Creek in Inez resulted in the loss of two young children, 1-year-old Jason Lee Mollette and 4-year-old Greyson Marcum.
A third child, age 6, and the children’s grandmother, 66-year-old Vera Hammond, narrowly escaped the fire.
Responding to the emergency call at 8:08 a.m. on Hammond Lane along Tug River Road, the Inez Volunteer Fire Department arrived to find the Turkey Creek Volunteer Fire Department battling the flames at a one-story structure.
Inez Fire Chief Lee Gauze described the scene as chaotic, with the fire rapidly spreading.
“We immediately began a perimeter search around the house and gained entry into one section where we believed the children to be,” Gauze said.
Despite their efforts, firefighters could only extricate 1-year-old Jason through a window. Inez Assistant Fire Chief Nick Endicott reported that emergency personnel performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the child, but tragically, these efforts were in vain.
The 4-year-old, Greyson, could not be reached in time.
“The fire spread quickly and the house was completely engulfed in a matter of minutes,” said Gauze.
The Kentucky State Police Post 9 in Pikeville, notified of the incident by Martin County 911 at 8:36 a.m., joined the response. KSP Detective Joseph Coleman led the investigation, with the preliminary investigation revealing emergency personnel located two juveniles deceased inside the residence.
Meanwhile, Hammond recounted her harrowing experience. She managed to escape with the 6-year-old, lifted him over a fence and instructed him to seek help at a neighbor’s house. Hammond then attempted to reenter the house to save Jason and Greyson but was knocked backward and to the ground by a fireball upon opening the door.
Martin County Coroner Chris Todd pronounced Jason deceased at 9:08 a.m. At 9:30 a.m., he entered the structure and pronounced Greyson deceased.
Hammond and the 6-year-old were transported to a hospital for treatment of injuries and smoke inhalation.
Chief Gauze expressed the emotional toll of the event on the family, firefighters and the community.
“Please keep the family of these precious children in your thoughts and prayers,” added the chief.
As the community reels from this tragedy, the cause of the fire remains unknown.
The investigation is ongoing by Detective Coleman and the Kentucky State Fire Marshal’s office.
The coroner transported the bodies of the deceased juveniles to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
KSP Post 9 personnel, the Inez Volunteer Fire Department, Turkey Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Warfield Volunteer Fire Department and Patriot Ambulance Service assisted Detective Coleman at the scene.
(Roger Smith contributed to this story.)
See the original story: Tragic house fire claims lives of two young children.
