9-year-old and grandma die in house fire, Virginia officials say. ‘My soul is broken’
A 9-year-old girl and her grandmother died in an early morning house fire in Virginia, officials said.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue responded to a house fire at 1:45 a.m. Sept. 6 in Falls Church, according to a news release.
The back of the house was engulfed in flames when rescuers arrived and pulled the girl and her grandmother from the home, the release said. Both were taken to a hospital. A dog was rescued from the home, too, but did not survive.
The 9-year-old girl, identified as Kaysie Anne Arancibia, and her grandmother, 67-year-old Patricia Stoderl, died at the hospital, WUSA reported.
Kaysie had just started fourth grade at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School, her father, Mauricio Arancibia, told DC News Now.
“She always used to smile and be playful. And it was just a big tragedy what happened. I’m sad. My soul is broken. My heart’s into a million pieces,” Arancibia told the outlet. “Nobody could have avoided it. She was asleep and carbon dioxide, she breathed too much of it and that’s what killed her. She had her whole future ahead of her and I pray to God in heaven she’s looking down.”
Family members and friends decorated the front yard with candles and a cross, WUSA reported.
Rescuers have not released information about why the fire started and are conducting an investigation.
Falls Church is about 4 miles west of Arlington.
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 11:31 AM with the headline "9-year-old and grandma die in house fire, Virginia officials say. ‘My soul is broken’."
