Child injured in apartment fire has died at the hospital

Published 5:11 pm Friday, November 18, 2016

Breaking News

A 3-year-old girl injured in an apartment fire on Wednesday passed away Friday afternoon.
Sara Keeling, age 3, was being treated in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Johnson City Medical Center. Early reports from officials regarding the fire listed Sara’s age as 2, but it was later learned she had recently turned 3.
“Just before 4 pm today we were notified that the child had passed away,” Elizabethton Fire Marshal Capt. Andy Hardin said.
The child’s mother, 20-year-old Dana Keeling passed away from injuries she sustained in the fire on Thursday.
Both Dana Keeling and her daughter Sara both suffered injuries in a fire at their home at 916 Pine Ridge Circle Apt. C in the Rolling Hills Community. Hardin said their injuries appeared to the result of smoke from the fire.
According to police, around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Keeling called 911 and reported that her apartment was on fire and she and daughter were trapped upstairs. While 911 dispatchers were on the line they lost contact with Keeling. Firefighters arrived on scene within 2 to 3 minutes, Elizabethton Police Department Chief Jason Shaw said on Wednesday evening. Firefighters entered the apartment and located both mother and daughter in an upstairs bedroom.
The fire is currently under investigation by the Elizabethton Fire Department and State Fire Marshal’s Office with assistance from the Elizabethton Police Department.
“The preliminary investigation on the Pine Ridge Circle fire has determined the origin of the fire was at the couch that was located in the downstairs front room of the apartment,” Hardin said on Thursday afternoon. “The cause of the fire appears to be accidental from an unattended candle.”
On Friday afternoon Hardin said there is no additional information to release at this time regarding the investigation into the fatal fire.

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