The law enforcement community in Galveston, Texas, is coming together to support a family after a devastating apartment fire broke out in their building on the morning of Thanksgiving.
The fire left four families displaced, including 11-year-old Khy’air McWherter and his father. The quick thinking and bravery of young Khy’air, who managed to free himself by breaking through a window, has now become an inspiration to the community.
The incident, which took place at approximately 6:30 a.m., prompted a swift response from the Houston Fire Department. Two firefighters sustained injuries during the rescue operation, and Khy’air suffered minor cuts from his escape.
“I woke up, and I smelled something — it smelled like a candle. So I opened the door, and I saw a massive fire,” Khy’air recalled to ABC 13 News. “Then I broke through the window, and someone came to help me get out of it.”
The fire was determined to have been intentionally started using a flammable liquid by suspect Rueben Colbert, who has been arrested and charged with arson. The blaze took a toll on several families, leaving them without homes just as the holiday season approached.
Galveston County Deputy Megan Dolanto, a school resource officer at Khy’air’s school, heard of the incident and felt compelled to assist. Recognizing the impact on Khy’air and his father, she donated her Christmas tree to the family and gathered support from the community.
“Immediately, it hit my ‘mama’ heart that he lost everything, and I knew we had to help him,” Dolanto said.
In addition, Galveston County Sergeant Tommy Ingrasin, along with other deputies, rallied together to provide essentials for Khy’air and his father. Clothes, toys and a mattress were donated, with a local furniture store generously contributing the mattress.
“They’re all my school babies, and I have a 13-year-old myself,” said Dolanto.
The Red Cross is actively working to find shelter for all the families impacted by the fire, especially with the approaching cold weather and the holiday season intensifying the urgency.
“It’s just with the cold snap coming, and it is bad during the holiday season, that’s why we’re trying to get Red Cross out here and take care of the families,” explained HFD Deputy Chief James Pennington.
