Overland Park family of 5 still hospitalized after fire: ‘Everything is for those kids’
An Overland Park family of five was still in the hospital Monday, days after an early-morning fire destroyed their apartment, according to a sister of a victim.
Andrea Hines, her fiancé and three children — ages 11, 10 and 5 — were injured, according to a GoFundMe. The GoFundMe described Hines as “the kind of person who would do anything for anyone.”
The fire broke out just before 3 a.m. Saturday at the family’s home in the Sheridan Ridge Apartments at 83rd and Farley Streets.
One adult and three children were taken to a hospital with critical injuries, according to the Overland Park Fire Department. A second adult was transported with what was believed to be less serious injuries.
Hines’ sister Erica Williams and a friend posted the fundraiser, which had received $3,325 in two days. Both Williams and the friend said all five were still hospitalized as of midday Monday.
Williams told The Star she hopes the money from the GoFundMe will alleviate the family’s stress, “When they’re out of the hospital, they won’t have to worry as much about financial issues.”
A friend of the family spoke with The Star and asked not to be named to protect her children from questions about their classmates.
She described Hines as a “protective” mother.
“Everything is for those kids. And so this has been absolutely heart wrenching that they’ve lost everything,” the friend said.
The friend remembered late nights listening to music and chatting with Hines while their kids played.
“We’d sit on the porch and talk for hours.”
Fire response at Overland Park apartment
The cause of the fire is under investigation, said Jason Rhodes, spokesperson for the Overland Park Fire Department.
The first crew to arrive reported seeing smoke and fire from a two-story apartment building and that people were on the roof, according to an Overland Park Fire Department news release.
While firefighters were rescuing two people from the roof, crews found two more people in a second-story bathroom and brought them out through a window, according to the release.
Another person was found on the ground outside the apartment.
One adult and three children were transported to a hospital with critical injuries. The second adult was transported with what was believed to be less serious injuries.
The fire did not spread to other apartments, according to the release.
The Star’s Kendrick Calfee contributed to this report.
