Probe of trailer park fire that claimed three lives continues

Vern Drake has watched the Clark County coroner come into Van's Trailer Oasis 15 times in 10 years, carrying out neighbors taken by old age or an overdose.

But nothing hit him like Friday.

Drake and others tried but failed to rescue three children from a fire. He watched helplessly as flames consumed the trailer and the one next to it. And then he stood in shock as the toddlers' bodies were carried out.

"They didn't even have a chance," Drake said.

In the days since, people from in and outside the small trailer park on Las Vegas Boulevard North, near Lamb Boulevard, have come to the blackened, skeletal remains of mobile home No. 31 to honor the three children - all under the age of 3 - with stuffed animals, signs, candles and a copy of Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" at the foot of the trailer.

"It was his favorite book," Darlene Jones said of her grandson, David, who would have turned 3 in August. "He was starting to read it to us."

Clark County fire investigators, Las Vegas police and agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives continued their probe of the fatal fire Monday.

The coroner's office has not yet formally identified the three children.

The smell of smoke still hangs in the air, and Jones, Drake and the rest of the community are still waiting for answers to what caused the fire and why the two adults escaped the trailer but the three children did not.

"Nobody's satisfied with anything right now," Jones said.

Amy Hatzenpiller, 26, Shane Gouailhardou, 22, and the three children were sleeping in their home when the fire started at about 10:20 a.m., fire officials said. By the time firefighters had the blaze under control, the children were dead and two mobile homes were destroyed.

Neighbors and friends said Friday the two had lived together in the home for about four months and had been dating for about six months. They said that both were good parents and that they couldn't be at fault for the deaths of their children.

Hatzenpiller was the mother of two of the children, a girl, 1½ years old, and a 2-year-old boy. Gouailhardou was the father of the oldest boy: Jones' grandson, David.

Standing outside the mobile home Monday, Jones bent down to pick up a coin and put it in a backpack hanging from the fence in front of the burnt trailer.

"He loved to collect pennies."

Jones is having trouble shaking the images of her grandson from her mind. So is Drake: The boy's fiery red hair reminded him of his own son, now 14.

Drake, a maintenance worker in the park, said he thinks the two trailers will be knocked down soon. He hopes a rose garden and picnic tables will take their place.

Jones and her daughter are making funeral plans and setting up a bank account to accept donations to cover funeral expenses for all three children.

The local Red Cross said Monday that an anonymous donor offered to pay for all funeral expenses for the children.

Also, the Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation announced Monday that it would collect donations to help cover funeral expenses.

Donations can be made at www.theburnfoundation.org or mailed to Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation, 3111 S. Valley View Blvd., Suite B-3111, Las Vegas, NV 89102. Make checks payable to the organization.

Contact Kyle Potter at kpotter@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0391. Contact Brian Haynes at bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0281.