ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Patrick and Logan McKinnon would be 15 and 10 years old now. But five years ago on Friday, on March 19, 2016, the two were killed in a fire at their Roanoke County home.
“Very tough. Yeah it’s just even difficult to talk about still,” said Brian Clingenpeel, the community outreach coordinator for Roanoke County Fire & Rescue.
Clingenpeel had to break the news to the boys’ parents, Lindsay and Tom McKinnon.
“I will never ever forget the look on their face. Never. That is burned into my memory. And we want to make sure that never happens again,” said Clingenpeel.
To honor the boys’ memory and prevent another tragedy, the fire department tweeted on Friday asking everyone to make sure they have a fire escape plan and working smoke alarms.
“Having a working smoke alarm in your home doubles the chance that you will get out alive,” said Clingenpeel.
Put smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of your home, including the basement.
“You’ve got to test them. You’ve got to change the batteries. They’re good for 10 years. If your smoke alarms are older than 10 years old, then they need to be replaced,” said Clingenpeel.
The department also wants you to have a fire escape plan. They recommend you know two ways to get out of any room in your house, pick a meeting point outside and practicethe plan with the whole family twice a year.
“It’s critical to practice with everybody in the household and especially the kids,” said Clingenpeel.
In an interview with 10 News in the fall of 2016, the boys’ mother, Lindsay, said awareness and preparation can save lives.
“It is fast and furious. And you don’t have time to find your wherewithal,” said McKinnon in the 2016 interview. “You have to immediately act.”