A grandmother and four of her grandchildren were killed in an early-morning house fire in Independence, Kansas, on September 11, with five more family members hospitalized, including three children. The blaze broke out at 201 South Earl Street at around 6:22 a.m. that Friday, tearing through the home before anyone inside could escape unharmed.
Family members identified the deceased as Johanna Landsaw-Davis and four of her grandchildren, according to KCTV5, which named the children as Bane, Case, Ahlaya and Renesmae. A GoFundMe page organized to help the family, however, listed two of the children's names with different spellings — Renesema and Alahyla — according to KOAM News Now, which quoted the fundraiser's own wording: “We lost Johanna, Bane, Case, Renesema, and Alahyla Landsaw-Davis.” The discrepancy between the two spellings has not been resolved.
Five other people were hospitalized as a result of the fire, three of them children, per KCTV5's report. Among the injured were the children's mother, Destiny, and the oldest sibling, the station reported. As reported by WENG Radio, the fire broke out early that Friday and killed the grandmother along with four grandchildren.
Mother and Oldest Child Hospitalized in Separate Cities
Destiny, the children's mother, was hospitalized in Kansas City, while the oldest child, identified as Coventri, was hospitalized in Wichita, according to Newson6. The station also reported that several agencies assisted Independence first responders at the scene, including the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, the Independence Rural Fire Department, CRMC EMS and Cherryvale Fire/EMS.
Other outlets described the survivors' injuries in stark terms. The Iola Register reported that five others — three children and two adults — suffered life-threatening injuries, a characterization echoed by KSN, which said three children and two adults were transported to hospitals in critical condition.
Cause of the Fire Remains Under Investigation
Investigators are still working to determine the circumstances surrounding the fire, including how it started, according to KWCH. No cause has been announced.
Two of the four children who died were students in the Independence school district, USD 446, the Iola Register reported, underscoring how directly the tragedy touched the small southeast Kansas community. The losses have rippled through classrooms and neighborhoods alike in the days since the fire.
Community Rallies Around Surviving Family
A GoFundMe fundraiser was set up to help cover funeral expenses, hospital bills and other urgent needs the family will face in the months ahead, according to KOAM News Now, which reported that donations will support Destiny and the surviving family members as they recover. Community members have continued to rally around the family in the days following the fire.
The tragedy in Independence adds to a string of fatal house fires that have drawn attention across the region this year, though officials have not linked any of the incidents. For now, the family and the community are focused on recovery — both for the survivors still hospitalized in Kansas City and Wichita, and for the town mourning five of its own.
