Mom Survives House Fire That Killed Fiancé and 4 Young Children: ‘Those Babies Were Her Entire World’
A mother survived a house fire that killed her fiancé and their young children on Saturday.
Four children under the age of 5 and a 28-year-old man, identified by loved ones as Hunter Campbell, were killed in the Hardy County house fire, the West Virginia State Fire Marshal said in a release posted to Facebook.
According to a family friend, two of Candi Strawderman’s children died in the fire as did Campbell’s two kids, Abilene and Jayce.
“Hardy County 911 received the call for a house fire on Woods Edge Road near the community of Mathias, WV,” they continued, noting that “[one] adult female was able to escape the fire and has been transported to a local medical facility.”
Strawderman’s friend, Brandie Dean, also tells PEOPLE that she had another daughter, Alayla, who was not at home at the time of the fire and survived.
“Candi and her family are some of the sweetest and funniest people you will ever meet. When it comes to family, that is their number one priority,” Dean reveals. “To Candi, those babies were her entire world. When you saw Candi, you saw Hunter and the kids.”
“Hunter was someone who always could make Candi laugh even when she didn’t want to,” she continues. “They could be absolutely doing nothing together and be happy just in each other’s presence. Hunter loved being silly and to make his family smile.”
Dean notes that Abilene and Jayce’s mom is also in mourning after her two kids were k#lled in the blaze.
“Their mom, Megan, is needing everyone’s support as well. She loved her babies and they were her whole world as well,” she continues. “One mom losing her babies is awful, but two going through the same thing is just heartbreaking.”
Jason D. Baltic, chief investigator with the West Virginia State Fire Marshal, said that authorities are still awaiting a positive identification for the victims.
Although it remains unclear what caused the blaze, the marshal’s office noted Saturday that “no smoke alarms were found among the debris.”
“The cause of the fire will be ruled undetermined due to the severe amount of damage to the structure,” the agency said Saturday.
In the meantime, two GoFundMe fundraisers have been launched to help support both families. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $75,000 had been raised.
