Newlyweds lose everything in fire

BURLINGTON – One night Rick Bowlin and Kelly Chapman were dancing at their wedding reception and the next night their Belleview Bottoms home went up in flames.

The couple met at a 2012 New Year's Eve party, but knew each other through work in Boone County. Chapman, 43, started working at the Boone County Jail in 2001 and moved to public works, where she is now solid waste supervisor. Bowlin, 30, has been a mechanic for the county since 2006.

Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore married them on Friday, March 27, then they celebrated their wedding reception at Immaculate Heart of Mary on Saturday night.

They were awakened by flames and smoke around 2 a.m. Monday and lost everything.

A Belleview-Mcville Fire Department representative confirmed the fire, but could not provide additional details.

The newlyweds were planning a honeymoon cruise to the eastern Caribbean this summer, but expect they won't get to go now.

"The firemen said it started in the fireplace," Chapman said. "We had a fire all day Sunday, and they said it started with the mortar in the fireplace. I guess because it's an older house, the mortar had disintegrated. The back side of the fireplace is my daughter's room. The fire got out and caught her closet and it just went up."

Bowlin and Chapman have lived in the three-bedroom ranch house at 6766 Mcville Road for more than a year, she said.

"I don't even know where to start," said Chapman. "We lost everything."

The family also includes Chapman's 21-year-old son, Nick, and daughter, Kaylee, 15, along with Bowlin's 6-year-old daughter Callie. Callie lives with her mother in Ohio, but lost a room full of toys, clothing and other belongings in the fire.

For information on how to donate, call Amy Hammonds at 859-443-2149.

The couple has set up an account on gofundme.com, http://bit.ly/1IakjCl, to collect donations. The Bowlin Fire Fund account has also been started at Heritage Bank. In addition to the branch at 1818 Florence Pike in Burlington, Heritage has 16 more branches throughout Northern Kentucky. More information about Heritage Bank is available online at . www.heritagebank-ky.com.

Another Boone County employee, Bill Lipscomb, is helping his friends collect donations.

"We are getting a very big response," Lipscomb said. "I think it's coming out pretty good as far as help from county employees. All the people really like both of them. They're very good people. They're young and are just trying to make a life out of things. Everything was going pretty good for them until this fire took all their stuff."

Lipscomb, who has been a volunteer firefighter for the Burlington Fire Department, said he's seen these sad situations many times.

"They did lose every bit of their clothing and everything in the house," he said. "Pretty much everything is destroyed, and if it isn't, it will be too smoky to be used."

Gift cards for groceries, restaurants or home items would be appreciated.

Chapman said they intend to live in a camper on the property until they begin to rebuild.

"It's going to be hard cooking in a little camper, but at least we have a place to stay," she said.

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