STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) – An investigation into the death of a six-month-old girl determined the child died as a result of a house fire, the Stafford County Fire Marshal’s and Sheriff’s Office said.
Eleanor Avery died inside her Kings Grant home during the March 31 fire.
“Despite efforts to gain entrance into the residence the mother was unable to rescue the child due to the severity of the fire,” Stafford Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief Mark Doyle said.
Investigators ruled the fire, which started in the front of the home, was unintentional. No detailed cause of the fire has been released.
“This was a tragic accident that has devastated the family and the entire community,” Stafford Fire Chief Mark Lockhart and Sheriff Charles Jett said in a joint statement. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family in this very difficult time.”
Friends of the Avery family set up a PayPal account to raise money for the family. The money would go toward burial costs and to help the family get back on their feet, the Avery Family Fire Relief Facebook page indicated.
“Fortunately their four other children are unharmed, but all their photographs, baby memorabilia and children’s keepsakes are gone,” the Facebook post read. “Although insignificant in comparison to the loss they have sustained, both their cars were destroyed; all the children’s toys, books, movies and clothes have been lost.”
