Ashland Mother and Four Children Lose Everything in Devastating House Fire
ASHLAND — A local family’s life was turned upside down this afternoon when a raging house fire consumed nearly all they owned—just a day before school is set to begin.
Shortly before 1 p.m., firefighters from both Ashland Fire Department stations were dispatched to a fully involved structure fire at 507 Edge Hill Avenue. By the time crews arrived, flames had already spread to three sides of the home, destroying the interior and damaging neighboring houses from the intense radiant heat.
Thankfully, no one was home at the time. The mother had taken her four children—ages 14, 11, 9, and 7—on a back-to-school trip to the zoo. Neighbors were able to rescue the family’s dog before firefighters arrived, but the children’s pet rabbits perished in the blaze.
Captain Mark Miller of Ashland Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Bureau said the blaze appears to have been sparked by oily rags left over from a staining project.
“When you apply oil-based stains, the rags can actually combust on their own if they aren’t stored or disposed of properly,” Miller explained. “It’s something most people don’t realize can happen, but it looks like that’s what occurred here. By the time we arrived, the fire was already spreading rapidly from the outside to the inside.”
Miller, a 20-year veteran fire investigator, described the loss as heartbreaking.
“This mother took her kids for a special day before school, and they came home to find they had nothing left,” he said. “They had just finished school shopping—clothes, shoes, supplies—everything is gone. To make matters worse, the family did not have homeowners insurance. There’s no way for them to recover what was lost without community support.”
The American Red Cross responded to assist with immediate needs, but the scale of the loss is overwhelming. A GoFundMe page has been set up by a family member to help with rebuilding efforts:
👉 Support Krista’s Family After Fire Tragedy https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-kristas-family-after-fire-tragedy?lang=en_US&attribution_id=sl%3Aa3e96227-2233-4237-9774-da1cdcc9a70b&ts=1756071745
Local businesses are also stepping up. Donna D’s Pizza, located at 738 US 250 E, Ashland, is serving as a donation drop-off point for clothing, shoes, and other essentials for the children.
Clothing needs include:
14-year-old boy: Men’s X-Large shirts, Men’s 13 shoes
11-year-old girl: Women’s X-Small or girls’ 16-18 clothing, Youth 5 shoes
9-year-old girl: Size 7-8 clothing, Youth size 3 shoes
7-year-old boy: Size 8 clothing, Youth size 2 shoes
Gratitude in the Midst of Loss
“Clothes, furniture, even a house can be replaced,” one relative said. “But we still have each other.”
Captain Miller echoed that sentiment. “We can’t measure the heartbreak of losing a home and animals, but we are so thankful this family wasn’t inside when it happened. That’s the blessing in the middle of this tragedy.”
