Witness tried rescuing woman from deadly Fern Creek house fire: ‘Could have done more’
By Alexis Mathews
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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — As fire tore through a house on Mercury Drive Monday morning, Evan Clemons and his two young kids were driving home from a nearby hospital and could see the flames from Hurstbourne Parkway.
“Once my daughter said, ‘Dad is that a fire,’ I immediately started figuring out where I was at,” he said.
Clemons instincts told him to follow the smoke and it led him to the burning home. He sprang into action, talking with distraught neighbors who told him Joyce Townsend, 60, was still inside.
“I took my phone out and cut the light on because I was trying to see where I can get in,” Clemons said. “Where’s a door? Where’s a window? But the back was already failing, so I couldn’t get in there.”
Knowing it was too dangerous to go inside, Clemons turned his efforts to neighbors, going door to door, alerting them to the fire.
“I beat on the door and the guy was sleep, so he woke up startled,” Clemons said. “I just kept yelling, it’s a fire next door, it’s a fire next door, you need to get out of the house because I know how unpredictable fires are.”
While they made it out safely, Townsend did not. The coroner’s office said she died from smoke inhalation and burns. Even amid Clemons’ brave actions, her death has the father of six wondering if he could have done more to help.
“It’s quite possible that everything that I did was in the limits of what I was supposed to do,” said Clemons. “It’s still not going to stop me from thinking I could have done more. I feel like I could’ve gone through (a) window, drove my truck through the door, I could’ve done something. It’s just always going to be second-guessing myself about the situation.”
A spokesperson from the Jefferson County Fire Service recognized Clemons for trying.
“It goes to show that in today’s society that we live in, there are still good people out there,” Jordan Yuodis said. “We’re extremely thankful that guy was willing to stop and try to render aid, but most importantly we’re glad that he’s okay and he’s safe.”
Clemons said he’s no hero, just human. He hopes that day inspired his children to always help those in need.
“I can only teach them how to be community-driven and motivated by doing for others because you don’t grow by being selfish,” he said. “If they learn anything from me, they learn to be a selfless person. I don’t have a lot but I will give what I have to help somebody else.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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