Mother & Daughter Die in Downtown Elkville Fire

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Five Southern Illinois fire departments responded to a 1:54 a.m. fire in downtown Elkville today that claimed the lives of a mother and daughter living in an upstairs apartment.

The victims have been identified as Zakia Davis, 31, and daughter Ashantie, age 6, who resided in one of two apartments that face the north side of the furniture store building. The mother is a former Du Quoin resident.

For many years the building was home to Downs & Son Furniture Co. More recently it has been home to Southern Home Furnishings.

Du Quoin Fire Chief Brett Crain said his firefighters worked alongside firemen from Elkville, Dowell, DeSoto and Royalton. Du Quoin firemen said they fought falling lath and plaster ceilings and got entangled in falling wiring as they searched for the two victims. Du Quoin firemen found the daughter , and DeSoto firemen later found the mother during a second tactical advance on the fire.

When the Emergency 911 call came in, bystander Dwight Wilmington tried to access the building, and was injured during the attempt. Elkville police officer Sgt. McDonnough and Illinois State Police Master Sgt. William Sons went across the street to the fire department, grabbed a ladder off of a fire truck and raised it on the southeast corner of the building to warn four other apartment dwellers who were safely evacuated. Elkville Chief of Police Kenton Schafer said it was Du Quoin firemen Adam Hill and Jared Kremer who found the girl in a middle bedroom. She died at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. Du Quoin firemen Joe Riggio, Adam Hill, Jared Kremer, Christ Hopkins, David Hock and Gene Skinner were among those on the scene. All departments did their job well. Chief Schafer said investigators confirm the fire started in the mother's bedroom. While the cause has not been determined, it is not suspicious.

The downstairs furniture store received moderate smoke and water damage. The building is owned by a land trust.

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