Child, 11, dies after protecting sibling during Overland Park apartment fire
An 11-year-old has died from injuries sustained during an apartment fire in Overland Park early Saturday morning, which left his family of five hospitalized.
In a GoFundMe created for Andrea Hines, her fiancé, and three children — ages 11, 10 and 5 — organizers said the 11-year-old protected his younger sister during the fire.
“A true act of courage and love that defines who he was,” the fundraiser said.
In a news release Tuesday, Jason Rhodes, a spokesperson for the Overland Park Fire Department, said one other child remains hospitalized following the incident.
Fire officials did not have information pertaining to the adult’s hospitalization statuses.
The family’s residence in the Sheridan Ridge Apartments, at 83rd and Farley Streets, was destroyed after a fire broke out just before 3 a.m. Saturday.
Responding crews found smoke and fire coming from the two-story apartment building, according to a news release. They found two people on the roof, two people in a second-story bathroom and one person on the ground outside the apartment.
One adult and three children were transported to an area hospital with critical injuries. Investigators said a second adult was transported in stable condition.
As of Tuesday, the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Rhodes said.
The fundraiser for Hines and her family has garnered nearly $7,000 since it was created three days ago, according to GoFundMe. It described Hines as “the kind of person who would do anything for anyone.”
Hines’ sister, Erica Williams, created the GoFundMe with a friend of the family. She told The Star she hopes any funds raised will alleviate the family’s stress, ensuring “they won’t have to worry as much about financial issues” after leaving the hospital.
According to the news release, the fire did not spread to other apartments in the area.
The Star’s Kendrick Calfee and Eleanor Nash contributed to this report.
