The Ksycki Fire

James and Pat Ksycki had created an ideal life.  By 1971, they had three children, and James had a good job as a plumber with Tobin Brothers in Peoria.  They had a split-level home on Inglewood Drive in a rural area of Washington.  Pat participated in many community activities, particularly those with the St. Patrick's Church.  The three children were Katherine Ann (age 7 in 1971 and a student at St. Pat's), Deborah Sue (age 5 and in Kindergarten at Central Grade School), and Lawrence James (age 3).

Sunday, March 7, 1971.

James was awakened at 6:30 a.m. for reasons he did not know and looked at his clock.  He fell back asleep, and in moments, a loud explosion sent objects around the room flying.  The couple attempted to get to their children, whose bedrooms were above the garage in their split-level home but could not do so after several attempts due to the flames and heat caused by the explosion.  Within minutes the house was fully engulfed in flames, and all three children subsequently passed away in the fire.

After meticulous investigation, the cause was determined to stem from a leak in a pressurized gas tank that James used for his plumbing. The tank was in the garage of the family's station wagon, directly below the children's bedrooms. The gas in the cylinder was very explosive, potentially ignited by the lightest spark, and any fire from the gas could not be extinguished but needed to burn out. Ksycki had lodged the tank between a tire and a toolbox in the car to keep it from moving.

The explosion blew off the station wagon's doors, and the top layer of concrete on the garage floor disintegrated due to the extreme heat.

Katherine, Deborah, and Lawrence are buried in Hillcrest Memory Gardens.