Houston Personal Injury Lawyer mourns children killed in daycare fire

Three children are dead and four others injured in a tragic home daycare fire that seriously burned some of the children.  The fire started in the kitchen of a home daycare Thursday afternoon, trapping the children who ranged in age from 18 months to 3 years.

 

The one-story home where the daycare was located was engulfed in smoke when firefighters arrived on the scene.  When they arrived two children were outside the home and five others were trapped inside.  Firefighters had to use thermal imagine cameras to locate some of the children inside the house.

 

Three children died as a result of their fire-related injuries.  Several children had to be transferred to the Shriners Hospital burn center in Galveston, and one remained at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston.

 

The children who had to be transferred to Galveston were suffering from very serious burn injuries and smoke inhalation.   The children who were eventually pronounced dead at the hospital included Elizabeth Kajoh, 19 months old, of Cypress; Kendyll Stradford, 20 months old, of Katy; and Shomari Dickerson, 3.

 

The daycare was licensed to Jessica Tata, 22, of Houston.  She received her license March 1, 2010.  Prior to receiving her license her home was cited for not having a fire extinguisher or a carbon monoxide detector, defects that were remedied before she finally received her license.

 

However, according to Texas state regulations, no home daycare provider can care for more than six preschool-aged children (typically under 5 years of age) in a 24 hour period.  Tata had seven children in her care, so she was over the legal limit by one.  The case is still under investigation.