Fire claims life of Kansas City man while mother escapes through bathroom window

Jan. 28--A fire at a Kansas City home early Sunday morning claimed the life of a 37-year-old man and killed two dogs, according to fire officials.

Ricky Bobby Lee Gillpatrick died in the fire while his mother, Janetta Gillpatrick, escaped through a bathroom window, a family member said Monday. The two lived together at the house in the 8500 block of Garfield Avenue.

The fire was discovered shortly before 5:30 a.m. when Janetta Gillpatrick woke to the sound of dogs barking and the smell of smoke, her brother Bob Gillpatrick said.

"She jumped up and walked from her bedroom toward the other bedroom," he said. "But there was smoke and fire down the hallway so there was no way to get there."

She retreated back to her bedroom and found her way to her bathroom, where she crawled out a window.

"She was a minute from passing as well," Bob Gillpatrick said.

Firefighters reported the house was burning when they arrived. Smoke and flames could be seen coming from the house, said Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Jimmy Walker of the Kansas City Fire Department.

Firefighters brought the flames under control in 10 to 15 minutes. While searching the home, they found Ricky Gillpatrick still in his bed and pulled him out of the burning house, Walker said. He was declared dead at the scene.

Ricky Gillpatrick had a hearing impairment and used hearing aids but didn't wear them while he slept, his uncle said. So the sound of the dogs barking probably didn't wake him up. He died from smoke inhalation, his uncle said.

Ricky Gillpatrick was the adoptive son of Janetta Gillpatrick. She had met him when he was 16 years old at the Nova Center School in Independence, where she worked. She adopted him in 2011.

Ricky Gillpatrick worked for Price Chopper stores in the Waldo area and Grandview during the past 13 years.

"He loved to fish and to listen to country music -- and of course he loved family," his uncle said. "He gave everybody he loved a nickname. He had funny nicknames for everybody."

Bob Gillpatrick said the fire heavily damaged the house and his sister lost everything. She has no insurance.

There were no working smoke detectors in the home, Fire Marshal Walker said. The Kansas City Fire Department gives away, and will install, smoke detectors for those who need them. For more information or for a free smoke detector, call 816-513-4610.

Walker also encourages people to close their bedroom doors when they are sleeping.

"Shutting the bedroom door increases your survivability if there's a fire in your house," Walker said.

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