A Waukesha family is grieving the loss of a mother and daughter who died in a house fire Monday morning, just three weeks after losing the family patriarch to natural causes.
Firefighters were called to a home in the 1000 block of Fieldridge Court around 9 a.m. after a caregiver discovered smoke when arriving for work. The victims have been identified by their family as 74-year-old Fran Kind and her 54-year-old daughter, Christine Bova.
Kind's husband, Don Kind, had died three weeks earlier at age 84 from medical issues.
"The caregiver called and said there was smoke in the house when she opened the door, and she called the fire department," said Bob Kind, a family member.
A neighbor jumped into action when he heard about the fire, running to the house with a fire extinguisher.
"He went over with a fire extinguisher when he opened the door; it was just black smoke. He ran through the house and opened the back door, and he said it helped. That's when he found Fran and her daughter unconscious in the bedroom," said Carol King, a neighbor.
Watch: Waukesha family loses mother and daughter in house fire weeks after father's death
The mother and daughter were pulled from the home but later died at the hospital. Fran Kind was wheelchair-bound, and Christine Bova sometimes acted as her mother's caregiver. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Fran Kind worked for decades for the Waukesha School District, working at Butler Middle School and North High School in the food service department. Her family and neighbors remember her dedication to the students she served.
"She worked at the school district as a cook. She provided for those kids. And she was just delightful to get to know," King said.
The family is struggling to cope with the sudden losses.
"Too many deaths in just a couple of weeks. I'm not sentimental, but I just can't take it. Everybody is devastated, the rest of the family," Bob Kind said.
Fire crews say the medical examiner will determine the cause of death, which will likely take a couple of days.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
