Mum loses family as fiancé, and 4 kids aged 1 to 5 burn to death in house fire

12 January 2024 , 17:56

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Four of Candi's children died in the blaze (Image: Candi Strawderman/Facebook)

A mum is grieving after her fiance and four young children, aged one, two, three and five, tragically died in a house fire this week. The only survivor is her daughter who wasn't at home during the incident.

Candi Strawderman lost five of her family members in the massive blaze that took place early Saturday at their home. Her 28 year old fiance, Hunter Campbell, their two kids, Grayson and Bucklee, and her two step-children Abilene and Jayce, all sadly perished in the fire.

The local volunteer firefighters arrived to tackle the fierce flames but it was too late. Candi managed to escape through a window but got injured in the process. She was rushed to a trauma centre.

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Candi's fiance also died in the fire (Candi Strawderman/Facebook)

The extent of Candi's injuries are still unknown, according to Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Robert Bailey. He also mentioned that the cause of the fire is yet to be determined due to the extensive damage to the house in Woods Edge Road in the city of Mathias, in West Virginia US. However, he did mention that there were some space heaters in the home that can't be ruled out as a possible cause.

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Crucially, fire chiefs stressed that no smoke alarms have been found in the debris. Electric space heaters have been cited as a possible cause - but the damage to the structure of the house is so severe the cause will remain undetermined.

A sign reading 'Strawderman's Salvage Yard' stands along Woods Edge Road, not far from where the house once stood. The Mathias-Volunteer Fire Department, deeply affected by the tragedy, shared a heartfelt message on social media.

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Candi Strawderman is mourning the deaths of five of her family members (Candi Strawderman/Facebook)

They wrote: "Please pray for our entire community. Not just the families affected by this tragedy, but also the firefighters, EMS personnel, dispatchers and everyone who has to do this and then continue with their day to help with the next emergency," and added, "Hold your babies tight. No one is promised tomorrow."

Candi, a nursing assistant originally from Mississippi, had been living in West Virginia with her family. Her social media is filled with joyful photos of her with her children and her fiance.

Candi with her family - Hunter Campbell, their two kids, Grayson and Bucklee, and her two step-children Abilene and Jayce (Candi Strawderman/GoFundMe)

Family friend Brandie Hall set up a GoFundMe to support Candi during this unimaginable time, asking for prayers, donations or simply sharing the link. She wrote: "With permission of the family I have set this up for it to help with Funeral Expenses, medical bills, & whatever else they need to help build somewhat of their life back," and added, "also, surviving with Candi is her daughter who will need support as she lost her siblings."

Brandie Dean told PEOPLE: "Candi and her family are some of the sweetest and funniest people you will ever meet. When it comes to family, that is their number one priority. To Candi, those babies were her entire world. When you saw Candi, you saw Hunter and the kids."

She added: "Hunter was someone who always could make Candi laugh even when she didn’t want to."

She continued: "They could be absolutely doing nothing together and be happy just in each other's presence. Hunter loved being silly and to make his family smile."

Charlie Jones