Deceased Name: Mary Jones - Natasha Yvette Jones - Circuitry blamed in blaze N. CHARLESTON FIRE: Trapped in an attic room, two sisters, ages 9 and 10,died Thursday in the house fire, which started on the ground floor.
An overloaded electrical circuit triggered the Thursday morning fire that killed two North Charleston children, an investigator said Monday.
Natasha Jones, 9, and Mary Jones, 10, were sleeping in the attic of their Kraft Avenue home when the fire began about 11 a.m. in a ground-floor bedroom directly below. The only access to or from the attic was a pull-down set of stairs - which was ablaze by the time the girls discovered the fire, North Charleston Chief Fire Investigator Benjamin Norris said.
"They had no place to go," he said. "The exit was blocked."
One of the girls' uncles and their 12-year-old brother rushed from homes next door and tried to get to the attic while firefighters were on the way. But intense heat and smoke drove them back. Firefighters entered the home in protective gear, but it was too late to save the girls.
Smoke inhalation caused their deaths, Charleston County Coroner Susan Chewning said.
Funerals for the sisters, who attended Chicora Elementary School, will be at noon Wednesday in Christ Church Cathedral on Ottawa Street in North Charleston.
Though its rear portion was badly damaged, and smoke and water damage was extensive elsewhere, authorities believe the structure can be made livable. But Jones family relatives said Monday that the surviving, displaced family members haven't given any thought yet to whether they want to move back in.
The sisters who died were part of an extended family that shares four homes together on Kraft Avenue. The family has always "been as tight as we can get," but distant relatives and friends have come together with the family since the girls' deaths, said Vanetta Seels, the sisters' aunt.
Norris said the girls, who were the youngest of the Jones children, were alone in the house when the fire started. Their brother and two sisters were away, and the parents were at work.
An electric space heater in the ground-floor bedroom was plugged into the same electric outlet as a television and a 300-watt halogen lamp, Norris said.
The heater, lamp and television were left on that morning, causing the cord to the heater to overheat. Fire erupted and burned the carpet, bedding and other flammables in the room. Just how long the fire burned before being discovered is not known, Norris said.
The fire burned to the stairs and climbed into the attic and to the roof.
Norris said firefighters have found no smoke detectors in the home.
"It may have made a difference," he said.
Space heaters should not be plugged into outlets that share other electric appliances, Norris said. They also should not be operated within 6 feet of curtains, bedding or other flammable items.
Seels said North Charleston police, fire and other city officials have been helpful to the family. People from as far away as Summerville have given donations, and the family is thankful for the many cards, gifts and prayers given by total strangers, she said.
"The outpouring has been beyond belief," said Anthony Joyner, the girls' uncle.
The girls' parents, Darryl and Yvette Jones, are trying to cope, Seels said. "They pray that God gives them the strength to get them through all of this, to give them the strength to go on," she said.
"It's a blessing knowing that so many people are willing to and wanting to help us," Seels said.
Joyner said the Jones family needs clothing now, and has adequate storage space for furniture and other items they will need.
ED:Contact Edward C. Fennell at 937-5557.
WANT TO HELP?
Financial contributions can be made to The Jones Family Fund at any area NationsBank. Donations of clothing, bedding and furniture are being accepted by Jones' family member Anthony Joyner at 566-9936. Also, radio station Magic 101.7 FM (566-1017) is organizing assistance and is accepting donations of money, food, clothing or furniture this Sunday starting at 11 a.m. at 2045 Spaulding Drive in North Charleston.
Post and Courier, The (Charleston, SC) - January 5, 1999
Natasha Yvette Jones
Birth: 25 Jan 1989
Death: 31 Dec 1998 - Charleston, SC (South Carolina)
U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 No Image
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Name: Natasha Yvette Jones
[Natasha Y Jones]
SSN:
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 25 Jan 1989
Birth Place: Charleston, South Carolina
Death Date: 31 Dec 1998
Birth Certificate Number: U.S. citizen.
Type of Claim: Original SSN.
Additional Information: Birth record established before age of 5.
Notes: 21 Apr 1989: Name listed as NATASHA YVETTE JONES; 02 Nov 1999: Name listed as NATASHA Y JONES
An overloaded electrical circuit triggered the Thursday morning fire that killed two North Charleston children, an investigator said Monday.
Natasha Jones, 9, and Mary Jones, 10, were sleeping in the attic of their Kraft Avenue home when the fire began about 11 a.m. in a ground-floor bedroom directly below. The only access to or from the attic was a pull-down set of stairs - which was ablaze by the time the girls discovered the fire, North Charleston Chief Fire Investigator Benjamin Norris said.
"They had no place to go," he said. "The exit was blocked."
One of the girls' uncles and their 12-year-old brother rushed from homes next door and tried to get to the attic while firefighters were on the way. But intense heat and smoke drove them back. Firefighters entered the home in protective gear, but it was too late to save the girls.
Smoke inhalation caused their deaths, Charleston County Coroner Susan Chewning said.
Funerals for the sisters, who attended Chicora Elementary School, will be at noon Wednesday in Christ Church Cathedral on Ottawa Street in North Charleston.
Though its rear portion was badly damaged, and smoke and water damage was extensive elsewhere, authorities believe the structure can be made livable. But Jones family relatives said Monday that the surviving, displaced family members haven't given any thought yet to whether they want to move back in.
The sisters who died were part of an extended family that shares four homes together on Kraft Avenue. The family has always "been as tight as we can get," but distant relatives and friends have come together with the family since the girls' deaths, said Vanetta Seels, the sisters' aunt.
Norris said the girls, who were the youngest of the Jones children, were alone in the house when the fire started. Their brother and two sisters were away, and the parents were at work.
An electric space heater in the ground-floor bedroom was plugged into the same electric outlet as a television and a 300-watt halogen lamp, Norris said.
The heater, lamp and television were left on that morning, causing the cord to the heater to overheat. Fire erupted and burned the carpet, bedding and other flammables in the room. Just how long the fire burned before being discovered is not known, Norris said.
The fire burned to the stairs and climbed into the attic and to the roof.
Norris said firefighters have found no smoke detectors in the home.
"It may have made a difference," he said.
Space heaters should not be plugged into outlets that share other electric appliances, Norris said. They also should not be operated within 6 feet of curtains, bedding or other flammable items.
Seels said North Charleston police, fire and other city officials have been helpful to the family. People from as far away as Summerville have given donations, and the family is thankful for the many cards, gifts and prayers given by total strangers, she said.
"The outpouring has been beyond belief," said Anthony Joyner, the girls' uncle.
The girls' parents, Darryl and Yvette Jones, are trying to cope, Seels said. "They pray that God gives them the strength to get them through all of this, to give them the strength to go on," she said.
"It's a blessing knowing that so many people are willing to and wanting to help us," Seels said.
Joyner said the Jones family needs clothing now, and has adequate storage space for furniture and other items they will need.
ED:Contact Edward C. Fennell at 937-5557.
WANT TO HELP?
Financial contributions can be made to The Jones Family Fund at any area NationsBank. Donations of clothing, bedding and furniture are being accepted by Jones' family member Anthony Joyner at 566-9936. Also, radio station Magic 101.7 FM (566-1017) is organizing assistance and is accepting donations of money, food, clothing or furniture this Sunday starting at 11 a.m. at 2045 Spaulding Drive in North Charleston.
Post and Courier, The (Charleston, SC) - January 5, 1999
Natasha Yvette Jones
Birth: 25 Jan 1989
Death: 31 Dec 1998 - Charleston, SC (South Carolina)
U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 No Image
Text-only collection
Add alternate information
Report issue
Name: Natasha Yvette Jones
[Natasha Y Jones]
SSN:
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 25 Jan 1989
Birth Place: Charleston, South Carolina
Death Date: 31 Dec 1998
Birth Certificate Number: U.S. citizen.
Type of Claim: Original SSN.
Additional Information: Birth record established before age of 5.
Notes: 21 Apr 1989: Name listed as NATASHA YVETTE JONES; 02 Nov 1999: Name listed as NATASHA Y JONES
Deceased Name: Mary Jones - Natasha Yvette Jones - Circuitry blamed in blaze N. CHARLESTON FIRE: Trapped in an attic room, two sisters, ages 9 and 10,died Thursday in the house fire, which started on the ground floor.
An overloaded electrical circuit triggered the Thursday morning fire that killed two North Charleston children, an investigator said Monday.
Natasha Jones, 9, and Mary Jones, 10, were sleeping in the attic of their Kraft Avenue home when the fire began about 11 a.m. in a ground-floor bedroom directly below. The only access to or from the attic was a pull-down set of stairs - which was ablaze by the time the girls discovered the fire, North Charleston Chief Fire Investigator Benjamin Norris said.
"They had no place to go," he said. "The exit was blocked."
One of the girls' uncles and their 12-year-old brother rushed from homes next door and tried to get to the attic while firefighters were on the way. But intense heat and smoke drove them back. Firefighters entered the home in protective gear, but it was too late to save the girls.
Smoke inhalation caused their deaths, Charleston County Coroner Susan Chewning said.
Funerals for the sisters, who attended Chicora Elementary School, will be at noon Wednesday in Christ Church Cathedral on Ottawa Street in North Charleston.
Though its rear portion was badly damaged, and smoke and water damage was extensive elsewhere, authorities believe the structure can be made livable. But Jones family relatives said Monday that the surviving, displaced family members haven't given any thought yet to whether they want to move back in.
The sisters who died were part of an extended family that shares four homes together on Kraft Avenue. The family has always "been as tight as we can get," but distant relatives and friends have come together with the family since the girls' deaths, said Vanetta Seels, the sisters' aunt.
Norris said the girls, who were the youngest of the Jones children, were alone in the house when the fire started. Their brother and two sisters were away, and the parents were at work.
An electric space heater in the ground-floor bedroom was plugged into the same electric outlet as a television and a 300-watt halogen lamp, Norris said.
The heater, lamp and television were left on that morning, causing the cord to the heater to overheat. Fire erupted and burned the carpet, bedding and other flammables in the room. Just how long the fire burned before being discovered is not known, Norris said.
The fire burned to the stairs and climbed into the attic and to the roof.
Norris said firefighters have found no smoke detectors in the home.
"It may have made a difference," he said.
Space heaters should not be plugged into outlets that share other electric appliances, Norris said. They also should not be operated within 6 feet of curtains, bedding or other flammable items.
Seels said North Charleston police, fire and other city officials have been helpful to the family. People from as far away as Summerville have given donations, and the family is thankful for the many cards, gifts and prayers given by total strangers, she said.
"The outpouring has been beyond belief," said Anthony Joyner, the girls' uncle.
The girls' parents, Darryl and Yvette Jones, are trying to cope, Seels said. "They pray that God gives them the strength to get them through all of this, to give them the strength to go on," she said.
"It's a blessing knowing that so many people are willing to and wanting to help us," Seels said.
Joyner said the Jones family needs clothing now, and has adequate storage space for furniture and other items they will need.
ED:Contact Edward C. Fennell at 937-5557.
WANT TO HELP?
Financial contributions can be made to The Jones Family Fund at any area NationsBank. Donations of clothing, bedding and furniture are being accepted by Jones' family member Anthony Joyner at 566-9936. Also, radio station Magic 101.7 FM (566-1017) is organizing assistance and is accepting donations of money, food, clothing or furniture this Sunday starting at 11 a.m. at 2045 Spaulding Drive in North Charleston.
Post and Courier, The (Charleston, SC) - January 5, 1999
Natasha Yvette Jones
Birth: 25 Jan 1989
Death: 31 Dec 1998 - Charleston, SC (South Carolina)
U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 No Image
Text-only collection
Add alternate information
Report issue
Name: Natasha Yvette Jones
[Natasha Y Jones]
SSN:
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 25 Jan 1989
Birth Place: Charleston, South Carolina
Death Date: 31 Dec 1998
Birth Certificate Number: U.S. citizen.
Type of Claim: Original SSN.
Additional Information: Birth record established before age of 5.
Notes: 21 Apr 1989: Name listed as NATASHA YVETTE JONES; 02 Nov 1999: Name listed as NATASHA Y JONES
An overloaded electrical circuit triggered the Thursday morning fire that killed two North Charleston children, an investigator said Monday.
Natasha Jones, 9, and Mary Jones, 10, were sleeping in the attic of their Kraft Avenue home when the fire began about 11 a.m. in a ground-floor bedroom directly below. The only access to or from the attic was a pull-down set of stairs - which was ablaze by the time the girls discovered the fire, North Charleston Chief Fire Investigator Benjamin Norris said.
"They had no place to go," he said. "The exit was blocked."
One of the girls' uncles and their 12-year-old brother rushed from homes next door and tried to get to the attic while firefighters were on the way. But intense heat and smoke drove them back. Firefighters entered the home in protective gear, but it was too late to save the girls.
Smoke inhalation caused their deaths, Charleston County Coroner Susan Chewning said.
Funerals for the sisters, who attended Chicora Elementary School, will be at noon Wednesday in Christ Church Cathedral on Ottawa Street in North Charleston.
Though its rear portion was badly damaged, and smoke and water damage was extensive elsewhere, authorities believe the structure can be made livable. But Jones family relatives said Monday that the surviving, displaced family members haven't given any thought yet to whether they want to move back in.
The sisters who died were part of an extended family that shares four homes together on Kraft Avenue. The family has always "been as tight as we can get," but distant relatives and friends have come together with the family since the girls' deaths, said Vanetta Seels, the sisters' aunt.
Norris said the girls, who were the youngest of the Jones children, were alone in the house when the fire started. Their brother and two sisters were away, and the parents were at work.
An electric space heater in the ground-floor bedroom was plugged into the same electric outlet as a television and a 300-watt halogen lamp, Norris said.
The heater, lamp and television were left on that morning, causing the cord to the heater to overheat. Fire erupted and burned the carpet, bedding and other flammables in the room. Just how long the fire burned before being discovered is not known, Norris said.
The fire burned to the stairs and climbed into the attic and to the roof.
Norris said firefighters have found no smoke detectors in the home.
"It may have made a difference," he said.
Space heaters should not be plugged into outlets that share other electric appliances, Norris said. They also should not be operated within 6 feet of curtains, bedding or other flammable items.
Seels said North Charleston police, fire and other city officials have been helpful to the family. People from as far away as Summerville have given donations, and the family is thankful for the many cards, gifts and prayers given by total strangers, she said.
"The outpouring has been beyond belief," said Anthony Joyner, the girls' uncle.
The girls' parents, Darryl and Yvette Jones, are trying to cope, Seels said. "They pray that God gives them the strength to get them through all of this, to give them the strength to go on," she said.
"It's a blessing knowing that so many people are willing to and wanting to help us," Seels said.
Joyner said the Jones family needs clothing now, and has adequate storage space for furniture and other items they will need.
ED:Contact Edward C. Fennell at 937-5557.
WANT TO HELP?
Financial contributions can be made to The Jones Family Fund at any area NationsBank. Donations of clothing, bedding and furniture are being accepted by Jones' family member Anthony Joyner at 566-9936. Also, radio station Magic 101.7 FM (566-1017) is organizing assistance and is accepting donations of money, food, clothing or furniture this Sunday starting at 11 a.m. at 2045 Spaulding Drive in North Charleston.
Post and Courier, The (Charleston, SC) - January 5, 1999
Natasha Yvette Jones
Birth: 25 Jan 1989
Death: 31 Dec 1998 - Charleston, SC (South Carolina)
U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 No Image
Text-only collection
Add alternate information
Report issue
Name: Natasha Yvette Jones
[Natasha Y Jones]
SSN:
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 25 Jan 1989
Birth Place: Charleston, South Carolina
Death Date: 31 Dec 1998
Birth Certificate Number: U.S. citizen.
Type of Claim: Original SSN.
Additional Information: Birth record established before age of 5.
Notes: 21 Apr 1989: Name listed as NATASHA YVETTE JONES; 02 Nov 1999: Name listed as NATASHA Y JONES
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