3 Young Children Killed in Pre-Christmas House Fire, 4-Year-Old, Parents and Grandmother Hospitalized: Reports

Three young children have reportedly died in a house fire in Jackson County, Kentucky, with another child and three adults left seriously injured.

On Tuesday, Dec. 23, Kentucky State Police assisted with a fire on Upper Dry Fork Road, according to local outlets WKYT, WZTV and LEX18. The blaze broke out just before midnight and, authorities said in a release cited by the outlets, resulted in the deaths of a 7-month-old, a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old.

A 4-year-old child was airlifted for emergency treatment and later transferred to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, according to LEX18.

Three adults — identified as Tyler Monst, 23, Morgan Johnson, 22, and Florence Johnson, 76 — were taken to Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington for injuries sustained in the fire, WKYT reported.

An uncle told WKYT that Monst and Morgan Johnson are the children’s parents and that Florence Johnson is their grandmother.

“It’s just a sad time for our whole community. The loss of children and lives,” neighbor Orvel Hisel told the outlet.

Hisel added that community members are expected to organize fundraisers to support the family, noting the challenges of traveling to Columbus while a child remains hospitalized there.

McKee Police Chief Zachary Bryant told LEX18 that the home was already engulfed when he arrived.

“I responded off duty and was the first on scene. When I came up on the home, it was fully involved in flames. Once the fire department got there, I assisted them with trying to extinguish the fire best we could,” Bryant said.

“Christmas is meant for joy and happiness,” he added. “Obviously this community is not experiencing that this year.”

Officials are continuing to investigate what caused the fire.