‘Tragic and horrific’: Swan Valley woman dies after RV fire
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SWAN VALLEY — One of the victims of a fire over New Year’s weekend has passed away.
Kathi Jorgensen of Swan Valley died early Wednesday morning at East Idaho Regional Medical Center, according to her family.
She had been hospitalized since Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, when the RV she was in caught fire.
The Swan Valley Fire District responded to the blaze at about 11 p.m., Fire Chief Travis Crystal told EastIdahoNews.com at the time. When crews arrived, the RV was already fully engulfed in flames.
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Jorgensen was “severely burned,” Crystal said, and she was taken to EIRMC via air ambulance.
She sustained burns over one-third of her body, her family said in a statement on Facebook.
“Due to her age as well as overall health, we knew that the odds were stacked against her,” they stated on a GoFundMe.
Jorgensen died of cardiac arrest.
Jorgensen’s grandson, Dominic, who was the first to notice the fire, suffered burns on his hands.
“He pulled his grandma out and away from the fire to safety so the EMTs could treat her quickly,” the family said in the statement.
He was taken to EIRMC in a private vehicle.
Audrey Jorgensen, who made the statement on the family’s behalf, described the fire as “tragic and horrific.”
“We don’t have the words for what we saw and experienced,” she said.
She noted the response from the community has been overwhelming.
“To have such a strong compassionate community of neighbors and friends willing to help us in any way has us feeling overwhelmed with gratitude,” she said.
A GoFundMe has been started for the Jorgensens by Angel Wilson, a member of the family.
“This family is one of the most caring, resilient and genuine families I have ever met and I want to do anything I can to help them,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page. All donations will be used for funeral expenses.
The cause of the fire has been determined to be accidental, according to Crystal, but an exact cause couldn’t be found.
“Our department’s thoughts and prayers are with the family,” Crystal said.
Our attorneys tell us we need to put this disclaimer in stories involving fundraisers: EastIdahoNews.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries.