Maysville shocked by fire that killed five

The old homes along the Ohio River in Maysville have survived the Civil War, two World Wars and a Great Depression.

But no one in the community remembers a fire as tragic as the one that blazed through the 175-year-old row houses Tuesday morning. Five people died in the fire that started about 2:30 a.m. in the row houses in the 200 block of Second Street.

An older man and a mother and her three children perished in the blaze. The father and two older children in the same family escaped, according to authorities.

Maysville officials identified the mother as 36-year-old Lori Doppelheuer and her three children, Eagan Hargis, 3, Kieran Hargis, 1, and Christopher Kearney, 10. The 68-year-old man was identified as Larry Brickels.

Now the 8,800 people in the small riverside town will have to figure out how to pick up the pieces, said Mayor David Cartmell.

"It's just a tragic loss," Cartmell said. "They are people that interacted with everyone."

Family and friends sat dazed looking at the burnt husk that hours before was their home.

Witnesses and survivors told a tale of heroism and a mother's sacrifice.

A wall of fire on the back of his apartment greeted Milton Hedges when the smoke alarm awoke him. He lived in the third floor apartment of the row house above where the older man died.

"I looked out our back window and it was just a big wall of flames going over top of the back of the house," Hedges said. "I hollered at my girlfriend, told her to get out. We just came straight out."

On scene witnesses said they saw Doppelheuer run out of the house and scream at firefighters that her children were still inside. She then ran back in to save them, yet never emerged.

Ruth Austen saw the frantic mother return to the burning house. Austen made it out of her home in the row house where she has lived for three months. But she trembled with emotion as she recounted the morning and Doppelheuer's bravery.

"I'd give my life to have those kids back here," Austen said. "The mom passed away with the children in the bedroom. One of them wasn't quite two yet."

Doppelheuer was a Marine veteran, said Regina Swiney, a close family friend.

“Mine and my husband’s son was killed six months ago in an accident,” Swiney said. “Lori was with us the whole week, taking care of us while someone was taking care of her children. She went back in that house to get her babies. She’s just an amazing woman.”

Cartmell said the family, who have roots in Maysville, had moved back from Lexington about two years ago. They were already concerned with making the city better. Rumble strips in an alleyway behind the row houses were put in a few months ago when the mother approached Cartmell concerned about traffic speeding where her children play.

"These kids were young," Cartmell said. "I saw those kids every couple of days playing in the street. I knew their uncle well. We're all friends. I went to school with their grandmother."

Maysville Fire Chief Kevin Doyle couldn't confirm that the mother had made it out safely before going back into the fire. He said they don't know the cause of the inferno but they ruled out arson.

Authorities said the fire started in an enclosed porch in back of one of the row house units. The three row houses that sustained the most damage and where the deaths occurred were rental units with a combined 12-16 units. About 30 residents are without a home.

The homes were very old like much of downtown Maysville, where 200-year-old buildings aren't unusual. But the age of the buildings isn't necessarily responsible for the fire. The original builders built firewalls between each row house, Doyle said.

Later additions and modifications to the attics helped the fire spread, he said.

"The problem is, over the years we add onto these buildings, put holes and access to firewalls which allow that fire to spread from one attic area to another," Doyle said.

The fire has shaken this river community.

"We're a relatively small town," Doyle said. "Everybody knows everybody and people are generally pretty neighborly here, so absolutely there's going to be an emotional impact to not only neighbors and friends, but to everyone in the community."

Lorraine Mullikin has lived adjacent to the row houses for five years. Her home wasn't damaged, but she still doesn't know how the community will heal.

"This loss of life, we will see how we deal with this," Mullikin said. "This is something that's totally new. I thinking we're all in shock right now, and we don't really know the facts. We're just hearing stuff."

The Red Cross is trying to find accommodations for those displaced, said Rebecca Cartmell, with the Red Cross and sister of the mayor. Hotel rooms in town were booked so they're trying to find rooms at the Blue Licks State Resort about a half hour away. Emergency responders were still sorting out the chaos Tuesday afternoon.

"At 2 a.m., people were everywhere," she said. "We didn't know if they were victims or people walking around. So we still don't have a firm number."

About Maysville

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Maysville's population at 8,851 in 2014, down from 9,011 in 2010.

Maysville hugs the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky, and claims a labor market approaching 200,000, according to the city website.

The local economy is spurred by the convergence of river, rail and highway accessibility, the city noted on its website.