Warren fatal fire victims laid to rest
WARREN, Ohio - The four victims from last weekend's fatal fire in Warren were laid to rest on Monday.
Hundreds of people gathered at North Mar Church in Warren to pay their respects to Edtawn Kimble, his fiancé Yolanda Holmes, and two of her daughters 12-year-old Mari'Auna and nine-year- old Mar'niece.
"Just sad. Sad event. My heart is broken. I feel for the family," says family friend Angelique Crosby.
"She was a very good mom. She cared about her family and her kids. And we just pray that everybody can just move on and things work out for the whole family," says family member Lenora Cofield.
All four victims died March 3rd when smoke and fire filled their Austin Avenue home. Fire officials believe the blaze started in the kitchen.
The two young girls both attended Williard Elementary School.
Mar'niece just turned nine last month. She loved dancing and was a member of the Girl Scouts.
Mari'Auna was also a Girl Scout and a cheerleader, cheering not only for the Willard squad but also for an all star team. Her Willard teammates along with their coach came to her funeral as a group.
"She always laughed, always smiled, was friends with basically everyone. Not just the cheerleaders, like everyone at the school that came to the games," said Willard Cheerleading Advisor April Kendra. "She was just a very outgoing person."
As family and friends grieve, this tragedy also highlights the importance of smoke detectors. Fire officials say there were no working detectors inside the home.
Warren Mayor Doug Franklin says the city's been working on a more comprehensive smoke detector program for months that will not only distribute detectors but also install them. Something he hopes many people in the city will take advantage of.
"I hope that we, as we move forward, that we check on our neighbors, we check on our family and friends and make sure they have operating smoke detectors in their homes," Franklin said.
Franklin said the best way to honor the family is to try to keep this kind of tragedy from ever happening again.
