Kristina Stratton has been identified as the doting mother of five who died in a Bakersfield, California house fire as she attempted to rescue her children.
What Happened?
According to the Kern County Fire Department, on Thursday, February 7, Stratton was tragically killed after she ran into the flaming two-story house to rescue four of her children that were trapped upstairs.
The Kern County Fire Department said that while the four children escaped with minor to moderate injuries, Stratton was found dead inside the home.
According to the Bakersfield Californian, Stratton was at the movies with one of her daughters when she received a call from another daughter to tell her about the fire.
The daughter who called Stratton says she was awoken by the family dog, who had awakened the girl by biting on her arm.
In addition to Statton, the family dog — named Duncan — also did not make it out of the house alive. The Kern County Fire Department said that Duncan’s body was found next to Kristina.
The Aftermath
Speaking on behalf of the Kern County Fire Department, Andrew Freeborn said that the fire incident is still under investigation.
In a statement BakersfieldNow, Stratton’s sister Sarah Parks hailed Kristina as a “hero”, saying that she “did what any mom would do.”
“My sister just did what any mom would do, protecting her children. She’s my hero. I hope I could be half the woman she is,” Parks said.
The surviving children are now without both parents, as their Statton’s husband died of cancer four years ago.
A GoFundMe created to support the family has raised over $38,000 at the time of this writing.
The GoFundMe description indicates that the proceeds of the fundraiser will be going to Sarah Parks, who is now the legal guardian of the children. Specifically, the money raised will be put towards a funeral service for Stratton, adding bedrooms to their house to make more rooms for the kids, and setting up savings accounts for the 5 children to start saving for college.