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Two children perish in fire
By Cindy Iutzi/Gate City Staff Writer
REVERE, Mo. - Two young children died Saturday in an early morning fire in rural Revere, Mo. The family also lost its home.
Anthony and Jackie Ball's daughters, Taylor Ball, 1, and Felicity Ball, 4, were asleep in the living room when the fire broke out sometime around 3 a.m., according to Revere Assistant Fire Chief Adam Davis.
“The trailer home was fully engulfed when I got there,” Davis said.
From what Davis could piece together, Anthony and Jackie and their children got home late Friday. They stoked the wood stove in the living room, laid the kids on the couch and went to their bedroom with their infant son, Caleb.
Later in the night, Jackie woke up.
“She has asthma and the smoke started to make her not be able to breathe,” Davis said. “They had to go out a window because the wood stove is by the hallway.”
A wall of fire was between the Balls and their two sleeping children, Davis said. The fire also cut off their escape to the back and front doors.
After they got out, the Balls tried to get back in to rescue Taylor and Felicity, but could not because of the fire.
Anthony sustained cuts, some of which required stitches, according to Revere Fire Chief Mickey Davis. He said Jackie sustained burns on a shoulder.
“I went around and visited Anthony yesterday,” Adam Davis said. “They're in shock and that's understandable.”
Adam and Mickey Davis said the Clark County dispatcher called out the Kahoka Fire Department first even though the Revere department is closer to the Ball residence.
Micky Davis said the Clark County dispatcher called the Kahoka department at 3:12 a.m., but Revere was not called until 3:26 a.m. by the Kahoka firefighters, a full 14 minutes after the initial call.
“We're four miles closer, but they were paged out sooner than us,” he said. “It took Clark County 14 to 15 minutes to get there, and we arrived right behind their pumper.”
Then when Revere arrived, a Kahoka tanker was stuck in the gravel road and blocked entry to the scene.
“Trailer houses, they don't take long to burn,” Adam Davis said.
He described the home as a typical 1970s model.
“It was a nice trailer,” he said. “It was framed up with metal skirting and was fully enclosed.”
Mickey Davis said he understands the roof had already started to collapse when the fire was called in and believes the children already had perished by the time fire personnel arrived.
Firefighters met Saturday night at the fire station to talk about the fire and were told that counseling would be made available to them.
“A lot of the firefighters grew up with Anthony and his wife,” Mickey Davis said.
About 15 to 20 Revere volunteer fighters and 25 from Kahoka fought the fire and trucked water into the rural area. Two firefighters from Wayland, Mo., were called in to help shuttle water in a Wayland tanker.
Revere fire personnel were at the scene until about 9 a.m.
Mickey Davis said the Iowa fire marshal believes the fire was caused by the wood stove, but official word hasn't been received yet.
He and Adam believe the trailer had smoke alarms.
Visitation for the Ball children is Wednesday at Wilson Funeral Home in Kahoka, with family meeting friends from 6 to 8 p.m. The funeral is at 2 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
A pending obituary is on page 2. A full obituary will appear in Tuesday's paper.
Excerpts from the full obituary say: “Taylor or “tater"(tot) was known for her big blue, wide-open eyes which could be mischievous at times. When that happened she was either doing it or thinking about doing it. She was full of energy and full of life and loved picking on her sister, Felicity. She was also a big Dora fan and loved to “shake her booty” whenever there was music playing. Taylor never met a stranger and said “Hi” to everyone she saw. Even though her vocabulary was limited, she never had problem getting her point across. She loved fleece, soft blankets, and dragging them around.
“She and Felicity were both Daddy's girls and there was never a dull moment when they were around. They loved their new little brother and both had a way of lighting up a room whenever they came in. People never forgot them when they met them.
“Felicity, also known as “Lissy Lou” and sometimes referred to as “Calamity Jane,” touched everyone she knew. She had an imagination that wouldn't stop and educated all her grandparents. She was a student at Kahoka Head Start and was wise beyond her age. She knew big words and how to use them appropriately.
“She helped other students in class and loved helping her family and grandparents do anything - garden, work puzzles on the computer, tend flowers, or whatever they were doing. She loved to hunt with her dad, go four-wheeling, dirt biking, and ride her mule. She was a real “river rat” and loved to go boating and bowling. She also loved to watch Nickelodeon and eat popcorn and baby carrots. She and Taylor both loved to be read to.”
The family needs money, furniture and clothing.
Mickey Davis said money is at the top of the list because Anthony Ball was laid off from his job in Keokuk three weeks ago. Anthony wears 10 1/2 shoes and socks, 32-34 pants, large shirts and 32 boxers. Jackie needs size nine shoes and socks, size 10 pants and large shirts. She wears size seven underwear and 36C bras, no padding.
Caleb is in size six to nine month clothing, needs size three diapers and blue and purple lid baby bottles with “fat” nipples.
Call the Revere Firehouse at 660-948-2000 and leave a message regarding donations.
Anthony and Jackie Ball's daughters, Taylor Ball, 1, and Felicity Ball, 4, were asleep in the living room when the fire broke out sometime around 3 a.m., according to Revere Assistant Fire Chief Adam Davis.
“The trailer home was fully engulfed when I got there,” Davis said.
From what Davis could piece together, Anthony and Jackie and their children got home late Friday. They stoked the wood stove in the living room, laid the kids on the couch and went to their bedroom with their infant son, Caleb.
Later in the night, Jackie woke up.
“She has asthma and the smoke started to make her not be able to breathe,” Davis said. “They had to go out a window because the wood stove is by the hallway.”
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After they got out, the Balls tried to get back in to rescue Taylor and Felicity, but could not because of the fire.
Anthony sustained cuts, some of which required stitches, according to Revere Fire Chief Mickey Davis. He said Jackie sustained burns on a shoulder.
“I went around and visited Anthony yesterday,” Adam Davis said. “They're in shock and that's understandable.”
Adam and Mickey Davis said the Clark County dispatcher called out the Kahoka Fire Department first even though the Revere department is closer to the Ball residence.
Micky Davis said the Clark County dispatcher called the Kahoka department at 3:12 a.m., but Revere was not called until 3:26 a.m. by the Kahoka firefighters, a full 14 minutes after the initial call.
“We're four miles closer, but they were paged out sooner than us,” he said. “It took Clark County 14 to 15 minutes to get there, and we arrived right behind their pumper.”
Then when Revere arrived, a Kahoka tanker was stuck in the gravel road and blocked entry to the scene.
“Trailer houses, they don't take long to burn,” Adam Davis said.
He described the home as a typical 1970s model.
“It was a nice trailer,” he said. “It was framed up with metal skirting and was fully enclosed.”
Mickey Davis said he understands the roof had already started to collapse when the fire was called in and believes the children already had perished by the time fire personnel arrived.
Firefighters met Saturday night at the fire station to talk about the fire and were told that counseling would be made available to them.
“A lot of the firefighters grew up with Anthony and his wife,” Mickey Davis said.
About 15 to 20 Revere volunteer fighters and 25 from Kahoka fought the fire and trucked water into the rural area. Two firefighters from Wayland, Mo., were called in to help shuttle water in a Wayland tanker.
Revere fire personnel were at the scene until about 9 a.m.
Mickey Davis said the Iowa fire marshal believes the fire was caused by the wood stove, but official word hasn't been received yet.
He and Adam believe the trailer had smoke alarms.
Visitation for the Ball children is Wednesday at Wilson Funeral Home in Kahoka, with family meeting friends from 6 to 8 p.m. The funeral is at 2 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
A pending obituary is on page 2. A full obituary will appear in Tuesday's paper.
Excerpts from the full obituary say: “Taylor or “tater"(tot) was known for her big blue, wide-open eyes which could be mischievous at times. When that happened she was either doing it or thinking about doing it. She was full of energy and full of life and loved picking on her sister, Felicity. She was also a big Dora fan and loved to “shake her booty” whenever there was music playing. Taylor never met a stranger and said “Hi” to everyone she saw. Even though her vocabulary was limited, she never had problem getting her point across. She loved fleece, soft blankets, and dragging them around.
“She and Felicity were both Daddy's girls and there was never a dull moment when they were around. They loved their new little brother and both had a way of lighting up a room whenever they came in. People never forgot them when they met them.
“Felicity, also known as “Lissy Lou” and sometimes referred to as “Calamity Jane,” touched everyone she knew. She had an imagination that wouldn't stop and educated all her grandparents. She was a student at Kahoka Head Start and was wise beyond her age. She knew big words and how to use them appropriately.
“She helped other students in class and loved helping her family and grandparents do anything - garden, work puzzles on the computer, tend flowers, or whatever they were doing. She loved to hunt with her dad, go four-wheeling, dirt biking, and ride her mule. She was a real “river rat” and loved to go boating and bowling. She also loved to watch Nickelodeon and eat popcorn and baby carrots. She and Taylor both loved to be read to.”
The family needs money, furniture and clothing.
Mickey Davis said money is at the top of the list because Anthony Ball was laid off from his job in Keokuk three weeks ago. Anthony wears 10 1/2 shoes and socks, 32-34 pants, large shirts and 32 boxers. Jackie needs size nine shoes and socks, size 10 pants and large shirts. She wears size seven underwear and 36C bras, no padding.
Caleb is in size six to nine month clothing, needs size three diapers and blue and purple lid baby bottles with “fat” nipples.
Call the Revere Firehouse at 660-948-2000 and leave a message regarding donations.
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