Pregnant woman, 2 children killed in Bullitt County house fire

BULLITT COUNTY, Ky. (WAVE) - The Southeast Bullitt Fire Department confirmed three people have died from a house fire.

Bullitt County coroner Dave Billings confirmed 27-year-old Eryn Toogood, Toogood’s daughter, 6-year-old Haisley Heath and 6-year-old Raegen Maramen died in Thursday morning’s fire.

Billings confirmed Toogood was also six months pregnant at the time of her death.

Smoke inhalation is believed to be the cause of death for all three victims.

The fire department was called to the home, north of the Lebanon Junction branch of the Bullitt County Public Library, on Thursday at 3:46 a.m.

The road was closed from Welch Street and Stone Creek Drive.

Lebanon Junction Fire Chief Adam Heath said the call originally came in as a disturbance as people were knocking on doors trying to alert other people about the fire.

When fire crews arrived, they located heavy fire coming from the home. Additional resources were also called in from Southeast Bullitt and Shepherdsville.

WAVE News asked Heath what the extent of the damages to the home were, but he had few details.

“You can imagine what it is,” Heath said. “It’s bad. Anytime you have a fire, it devastates the community, and anytime a life has perished, that really hits hard on the first responder level and it hits hard on the community.”

Heath later confirmed the home did not have any working smoke detectors, according to initial reports.

“If you don’t have a working smoke detector, please get a hold of someone to make sure that one will be installed for you,” Heath said.

Turnaround Resource Center Executive Director Jennie Maness said she was headed to work steps away from the fire off Highway 61.

When she realized she knew the family that lived there, she said she rushed over to the scene.

“You are looking at a house that I drove by just yesterday that was in perfectly fine shape,” Maness said. “Now all you see is soot and the fire smoke still coming out of it. It’s surreal. It’s just. You don’t understand.”

Heath said the community should stick together in a tough situation such as this.

“As a community, it’s tight knit here,” Heath said. “I was born and raised here, so it really hits home.”

In addition, other officials provided comments on the tragic fire.

“We have no reason to believe that this is anything other than just a horrible tragedy,” Bullitt County Sheriff Walt Sholar said.

“I was raised with this young man’s dad,” Lebanon Junction Mayor Larry Dangerfield said. “He went to school with my grandsons. I seen his kids getting on the school bus yesterday.”

Bullitt County Public Schools confirmed 6-year-old Haisley Heath went to Lebanon Junction Elementary School.

Principal Daniel Mullins sent out a notice to families Thursday morning, adding additional support services are available for students and staff at the school throughout the next several days.

Resources are available to assist families and parents by calling 869-HELP and using Care Solace online services.

The fire marshal’s office is investigating the fire.

Many fire departments reminded that they offer services to request and install smoke detectors within homes following the incident, and residents should reach out to them for further information.

A GoFundMe has been created to support the family following the tragedy.

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