
Bourbon County emergency personnel were dispatched to a structure fire in the 2300 block of Jewell Street, just southeast of Fort Scott, at around 5:30 a.m. on March 10.
“A three-year-old child died from this incident,” said Bourbon County Sheriff Bill Martin. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of this child.”
The Kansas State Fire Marshal was notified of the fire and will assist the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation, Martin said.

A relative of the deceased child sent this to fortscott.biz for publishing.
Earlier this week, a house fire in Fort Scott, Kansas took the life of my 3-year-old nephew, Kai. Kai was a joyful little boy who loved Blippi and excavators and meant the world to everyone who knew him. His parents and our family are Nevada, Missouri natives, and our hearts are completely shattered. The fire marshal is still investigating the cause of the fire. In the same fire, Kai’s grandmother, Samantha, also lost her home and nearly everything she owned. Our family has created two GoFundMe fundraisers one to help with Kai’s funeral expenses and another to help Samantha begin rebuilding after losing her home and belongings. We are hoping you might be willing to help share their story and the fundraisers to encourage community support. Even simply helping spread the word could make a huge difference for our family during this incredibly difficult time.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for any help you may be able to provide.
Sincerely,
Aireal Knoblauch (Kai’s aunt)
620-441-8400
Kai’s Funeral GoFundMe:
Samantha’s Rebuilding GoFundMe: