Gary house fire kills man, 6-year-old girl

Woman who suffered critical injuries airlifted to Chicago for care

A 6-year-old girl and 30-yearold man died in a Tuesday morning house fire in Gary, and a woman, who also lived in the home, was airlifted to a Chicago hospital in critical condition, authorities said.

The Lake County coroner’s office identified the man as Dennis Liggins, of the 500 block of Maryland Street. The 6-year-old was identified as Ciara Brown, of the same address. She was pronounced dead at 5:37 a.m.; Liggins at 9:20 a.m.

Fire Chief Sean O’Donnell said firefighters arrived at 4:50 a.m. and entered through the rear door. They found the man near the rear door and then found the young girl. He said firefighters administered aid to the girl who later died at Methodist Hospitals Northlake in Gary.

He said the woman, who was airlifted, was a relative of the man and girl. They lived in a lower unit of the two-flat house. An unidentified couple, who lived upstairs, evacuated safely, O’Donnell said.

The front of the white twostory house was blackened by the fire, which also singed the brick house to its south.

Gary Fire Department Division Chief Mark Everette said the injured woman suffered from smoke inhalation. He said she initially was taken to Methodist Hospitals Northlake campus, and then airlifted to Chicago.

The cause of the fire, which began in the front of the house, was still unknown, officials said. Everette said the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office and Gary fire and police departments were still investigating. He said the fire started in the lower unit.

Neighbor Karis Jones said the injured woman visited her house on Monday with Ciara. She said she shared her own son’s birthday cake with Ciara who danced happily during the visit.

Jones said the woman was dedicated to her son, Dennis.

“He was her world,” she said. Jones said she could hear the woman, who fire officials said self-evacuated, yelling after the fire started. “I could hear her yell, ‘My babies are in there,’ ” Jones said.

Kenneth Washington, who also lives on Maryland Street, said the woman is his daughter’s aunt.

“I know her world is hurt,” he said. “Whenever you see her, you’d see the baby,” he said of Ciara.

CAROLE CARLSON/POST-TRIBUNE Firefighters work the scene outside of a home Tuesday in the 500 block of Maryland Street in Gary where two people died in an overnight fire.