‘My Heart Is Shattered’: Family Loses 4 Kids, 2 Adults In Virginia House Fire
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A devastating house fire left six people dead in Chesterfield County, Virginia. In the aftermath, family members are mourning loved ones and sharing more about the victims of the tragic fire.
On Friday, shortly after midnight, a three-alarm fire gutted a house on Glass Road. A memorial filled with flowers, teddy bears and balloons is now growing outside of the home.
Michelle Capell is suffering unimaginable pain, telling 8News her world is shattered after losing six loved ones in the blink of an eye.
"It's a nightmare I can't wake up from," sobbed Capell. "That was the rest of my family, all I have left and all gone in the blink of an eye. I would do anything to have them back or if I could've saved them I would."
Capell clutched her fiance for support as tears streamed down her face. Four children and 2 women died as a result of the fire; all close members of Capell's family. She says her fiance told her the news and all she could do was scream.
"It was so painful," Capell told 8News. "I felt my heart just shatter."
Capell says her grandmother owned the home on Glass Road for more than two decades and died in the fire. She goes onto say the 70-year-old was the glue that held their blended family together.
"She was the queen of the family. My grandmother recently broke her hip and was in a wheelchair so we would all watch her speed around the house. My grandma also would like to take your man," Capell laughed. "She tried to take mine."
In addition to her grandmother, Capell also lost her 30-year-old cousin, Corinne Wright. Capell shared that Wright's two children also tragically died in the blaze.
"Her oldest daughter that died was 12 and the youngest daughter was 2," Capell cried.
Chesterfield Fire has identified the 12-year-old child as Aubrey Wright and 2-year-old as Ariabella Seaborne. Capell says the sweet images of their smiles will never fade as she tries to cope with them no longer playing in the front yard or giving her a big hug.
Chesterfield Fire says the aggressive flames and smoke were coming from the first floor of the home and spread to the second floor causing crews to have to use ladders to get upstairs.
Capell told 8News the flames started in her grandmother's room on the first floor.
"It'll never be real to me," Capell cried. "To lose one family member is one thing, but to lose six, it's unimaginable."
Instead of planning their next family trip, Capell is now forced to plan multiple funerals and says the financial burden is weighing heavy and they need help.
"It's going to be tough," said Capell. "There was no life insurance. There's going to be some bumps in the road and we need help."
Through all the pain, Capell is sharing a message with folks.
"Please hug your family and love them and spend as much time as you can with them," cried Capell. "Because you never know when your last day on Earth will be."
The official cause of the blaze has not been determined, however Chesterfield Fire does not suspect foul play at this time and says the home did have smoke detectors. It remains under investigation.
A spokesperson for Chesterfield Fire released the names of the victims:
Adult, female, waiting for positive identification from the medical examiner
Corinne Wright, 30, female
Aubrey Wright, 12, female
Aniyah Seaborne, 8, female
Julian Seaborne, 5, male
Ariabella Seaborne, 2, female
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