A fund has been established at Wright-Patt Credit Union to help the family with funeral expenses for Dionanna Bishop and Dejah Bishop. The fund will be in the name of Jean Bishop, their grandmother.
Key points:
- Jahari Ward, 8, out of Intensive Care Unit
- His sister, Jakia Jones, died March 1
- Cousins Dionanna and Dejah Bishop died Feb. 27
- Funerals for all 3 are Tuesday, March 10
- High levels of carbon monoxide detected in home
- Investigators are reviewing case with prosecutor
UPDATE @ 10:30 p.m. (March 4): Jahari Ward is awake, weak and continuing to show improvement, a family member said.
Jean Bishop, the grandmother of Jahari, his sister Jakia Jones and sisters Dionanna and Dejah Bishop, is out of the hospital and living at a different address, the family member said.
In a related development, the announced giveaway of carbon monoxide detector-smoke alarm combo units in Troy is being delayed because the shipment has not arrived, Troy fire officials said. Still, people visited the fire department wanting to get on a list to have firefighters install the units when they do arrive.
UPDATE @ 11:15 p.m. (March 3): Jahari Ward has improved to fair condition, a Dayton Children's Hospital spokeswoman said.
UPDATE @ 6:50 p.m. (March 3): Funeral arrangements have been set for the three Troy children who died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Visitation will be 10 a.m. to noon on March 10 at Transformed Life Church in Piqua for sisters Dionanna Bishop, 14, and Dejah Bishop, 13, and their cousin, Jakia Jones, 13. The funeral at the church begins at noon. All three will be buried at Riverside Cemetery in Troy.
Fisher-Cheney Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Troy police are still conducting their investigation and once their report is completed, they will submit it to the Miami County prosecutor for review.
Troy police Capt. Chris Anderson said a furnace inspection conducted by an outside professional found three problems with the furnace:
- It had a completely restricted air filter,
- The flue was restricted with deteriorating masonry work and
- There was a restricted air inlet in the burner of the furnace.
The cause of the CO poisoning could be because one of those issues or a combination of all three.
The four children were found in their home at 114 S. Elm St. on Friday afternoon, unresponsive from carbon monoxide poisoning. The four had been sick that week, relatives said, and were home alone that afternoon.
Their grandmother had been admitted to the hospital the night before for symptoms of pneumonia.
Free distribution of CO detectors will be begin at 10 a.m. today at Partners of Hope in Troy, 116 W. Franklin St. There is a limited supply, but people can now begin to call the Troy Fire Department at 937-335-5678 and get their name put on a list to receive one.
People who want to make a contribution for CO detectors can do so through the Troy Foundation.
From March 2
A blocked chimney flue was the cause of the carbon monoxide poisoning of four children in Troy, a fire official said Monday.
Three of the four children died. The fourth remains in a hospital.
“It was a catastrophic failure of a flue pipe,” said Matthew Simmons, assistant Troy fire chief.
The chimney flue, which was connected to the furnace, failed to vent carbon monoxide gases that killed three children and left one in critical condition.
Troy Fire Department arrived at 114 S. Elm St. on Friday and found law enforcement and other first responders already on the scene performing CPR.
It was reported that the children hadn’t been feeling well the last few days, but Simmons said firefighters knew there was something more to it than just ill children and moved them onto the porch outside.
“Carbon monoxide is odorless and you can’t see it, but there were indications in the house itself that our guys recognized was a carbon monoxide incident,” Simmons said. A buildup of soot that “didn’t just happen in a few days” covered the walls and ceiling, he said.
The four children were found unresponsive, and all of them ended up in cardiac arrest, he said.
Sisters Dionanna Bishop, 14, and Dejah Bishop, 13, died Friday in Troy from carbon monoxide poisoning. Levels of the gas were very high, said Miami County Coroner William Ginn.
Their cousin, Jakia Jones, 13, died Sunday. Her brother, Jahari Ward, 8, remained in critical condition at Children’s Hospital but according to his uncle, Leon Bishop, he opened his eyes, wiggled his toes and smiled Monday.
Every year, an average of 430 people die of carbon monoxide poisoning accidents nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
In Ohio, the number of accidental carbon monoxide deaths has bounced around between 16 and 28 a year since 2007, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
The sad part, officials said, is these deaths are preventable.
Carbon monoxide gas is a byproduct of incomplete combustion, said Chief Frank Conway of the Division of State Fire Marshal, so it can come from any household appliance that burns fuel.
“Household gas fuel furnaces, gas water heaters, gas fireplaces, gas stoves, are all sources of carbon monoxide,” said Conway, who is the Ohio fire prevention bureau chief.
Another source of danger, especially during weather events, he said, are generators.
“We’re talking today about the potential of some ice coming in and with that kind of weather, power outages,” Conway said. “And we want to caution people, we don’t want them bringing generators into the garage area as a power source, because now that’s a source of carbon monoxide.”
Carbon monoxide detectors can prevent death and injury from the gas, he said.
“Preferably put one on each floor, especially outside the sleeping area in the hallway,” Conway said.
If a home does not have a detector for the gas, other telltale signs are possible.
“Symptoms are very similar to those of the flu: headache, dizziness and weakness,” he said. “A key sign is while they’re at home they have these symptoms, but when they leave the house, the symptoms seem to go away.”
If that happens, Conway said, be suspicious that something may be going on in your house.
“If you have that suspicion, fire departments can come out and do a carbon monoxide check,” he said.
The lifespan on the carbon monoxide detector is eight years, Conway said. And like smoke detectors, the carbon monoxide detectors have to be kept in good working order.
“Make sure … that batteries are changed at least yearly. Or when you change your clocks, change your batteries,” Conway said.
The Troy Fire Department and the City of Troy have joined forces with community service organizations, the Lincoln Center and Partners in Hope, to ensure residents are protected.
The citywide effort will begin distributing carbon monoxide detectors Wednesday at locations including Partners in Hope at 116 West Franklin Street, Troy.
“We already started calling our partner families and seniors we work with,” Jessica Echols, Partners in Hope director, said.
The community is reaching out as well. Numerous people have called asking what they can do to help, Echols said.
True Value Hardware in Troy has offered to donate a carbon monoxide detector for every one that is purchased at the store.
“We really just want to learn from this and really try to educate the community,” Simmons said.