The mother of two children killed in a Maryland mansion fire in 2015 is speaking out for the first time to warn others about the dangers of keeping Christmas trees in the home for too long.
Don and Sandra Pyle and four of their grandchildren were killed in the early hours of January 19, 2015, when a dried-out Christmas tree sparked a fire in their $9million Annapolis, Maryland mansion.
The grandchildren killed in the blaze were two pairs of siblings, each from one 66-year-old Sandra’s sons, Clint and Randy Boone. Don Pyle, a 56-year-old tech millionaire, was the kids’ step-grandfather.
Sisters Alexis, eight, and Kaitlyn, seven, and siblings Charlotte, eight, and Wesley, six, were staying the night at their grandparents’ 16,000-square-foot house after being treated to dinner and a show at Medieval Times.
Eve Boone’s two children, eight-year-old Charlotte and six-year-old Wesley, died in a fire at their grandparents’ house in 2015
Boone is speaking out on the third anniversary of the deadly fire to warn others about the dangers of keeping dry Christmas trees in the home
Boone pictured with her children Wesley, left, and Charlotte, right, before their deaths
Charlotte, Wesley, and their two cousins were staying at their grandparents’ house after being treated to dinner and a show at Medieval Times. The fire broke out in the early hours of January 19, 2015
On the eve of the third anniversary of the fire, the mother of Charlotte and Wesley gave her first interview to NBC 4 Washington.
Eve Boone says that as soon as she and her husband Clint heard about the fire, they rushed to the home, but by then it was already engulfed in flames.
‘We were at a neighbor’s house waiting for any word,’ she said. ‘As time went on, it became apparent what had happened.’
Boone remembers her children as ‘beautiful, happy and fun’.
She’s torn up to this day about their loss, one she says could have been prevented.
It took firefighters some 10 hours to finally put out the blaze three years ago
The 16,000-square-foot home was worth an estimated $9million
Above, more scenes from the aftermath of the fire that claimed the lives of six
She said she’s speaking out to warn others against keeping Christmas trees in their home too long.
Investigators believe it was a dried out Christmas tree that sparked the blaze three years ago.
‘This didn’t have to happen, and it doesn’t have to happen,’ she said. ‘So, if I can ever stop even one person from going through something like this, it’s worth it.’
‘=This didn’t have to happen, and it doesn’t have to happen. So, if I can ever stop even one person from going through something like this, it’s worth it.
At times during her interview, Boone wiped away tears, while at other times smiling at the memories of her children.
She says she tries to stay positive, since she knows that’s what her kids would want.
‘Try to keep in mind: What would they want you to do that day? Would they want to see you cry and be upset? They know that you miss them, but they don’t want you to be sad,’ she said.
She says she honors her children by doing things they loved or would have loved to do.
Little Charlotte was a budding equestrian, so her mother has taken up horseback riding.
Don and Sandra Pyle, 56 and 66, are pictured above. The grandchildren were Sandra’s from two of her sons. Don was their step-grandfather
Charlotte and her brother Wesley are pictured above
Pictured above are the two other grandchildren killed in the fire, siblings Alexis, 8, and Kaitlyn, 7
On her son’s birthday, she went skydiving because she knew that’s something he would have loved to do.
‘This is something that he will laugh at me for doing,’ Boone said. ‘How could his mom ever jump out of a plane?’
The mother of the two other grandchildren killed in the fire also spoke out on the anniversary of their deaths, in a Facebook post.
Stacey Boone posted on Friday: ‘Today marks 3 years since I kissed my sweet girls. I still have days where my mind plays tricks on me and I think they are coming home. I still have days where I’m absolutely crushed with sadness and am brought to my knees. Yet over time the fog has started to lift and am granted moments of clarity. I am forever grateful for the time I had with Lexi and Katie.
‘I have always said that I don’t want my kids to be remembered for how they died, but for how they lived. Please help honor them today in passing along some lessons they (and Don & Sandy and Charlotte & Wes) lived by.
‘First and most importantly…be kind. You never know what’s going on in a person’s life, so a simple smile or act of kindness could make their day. Be generous…there are always people (and animals) that could use your help. Giving just a little of your time or money could mean a world of difference for them. Lastly, believe in Santa. By this I mean believe in the impossible and live your life as if you are always trying to be “on the Good list.” My children were young enough and fortunate enough that they still saw the good in everyone, wanted to save all the animals, and still believed in make believe. Please help me continue their memory today, and everyday,’ she wrote.
The mother of Alexis and Kaitlyn wrote about their deaths on Facebook on Friday
Stacey and her husband Randy had a newborn son at the time who was not in the mansion and survived.
It took firefighters 10 hours to extinguish the fire.
Don Pyle grew up in nearby Baltimore County and worked his way to the top table of several billion-dollar tech companies.
In an interview with the Washington Post, he said he started off as a salesman, and moved to progressively more important roles before taking the reins at companies with links to Silicon Valley.
His latest role was as the COO of ScienceLogic, an IT support company based in Reston, Virginia.
He would hold fundraisers for worthy causes at his house. At one in 2008, he told the Baltimore Sun the house had been especially designed to be a combination of a castle, his preference and a beach house, which Sandra wanted.
Boone (pictured with her children above) says she tries to stay positive, since she knows that’s what her kids would want
Boone has tried to honor her children’s memory by doing things they loved or would love to do – like horseback riding and sky diving
His lavish property stood facing Church Creek, a picturesque inlet not far from the Chesapeake Bay.
Situated on its own portion of exclusive Childs Point Road, the home boasted a courtyard, swimming pool and access to a speedboat jetty.
Real estate listings for the home say it had seven bathrooms and was part of a 7.8-acre estate. The modern, two-story home, which was built in 2005, also had an attic space and a basement.
Photographs of the mansion before it burned down show at least four cars parked outside the elegant stone construction, which had several turrets as part of its architecture.