An Iowa mom is facing serious charges after her two young kids were left alone in an apartment that caught fire.
It all started early on November 11, around 4:30 in the morning, when firefighters rushed to an apartment building on Rachel Street in North Liberty. A fire had broken out in one of the apartments, and while two people were sent to the hospital for injuries, thankfully, no one else was hurt.
As investigators looked into what happened, they discovered something shocking. Two little kids, just 3 and 5 years old, had been left alone in the second-floor apartment where the fire started. Their mom, 29-year-old Brittany Airhart, is now facing charges for neglect.
Authorities believe the fire started when one of the kids lit a fire in the fireplace, not realizing that a basket of clothes nearby could catch fire. And that’s exactly what happened. The flames spread quickly, forcing the entire building to be evacuated. Luckily, the sprinklers in the building slowed things down, and firefighters managed to get the blaze under control by the time they arrived.
When firefighters went into the apartment, they found the two children in a bedroom along with their dog. All three were rescued alive, and the kids were taken to the hospital as a precaution. Thankfully, they weren’t hurt.
When police questioned Airhart, she reportedly said she thought a babysitter was coming to her apartment to take care of the kids after she left. But she also admitted she didn’t follow up to make sure the babysitter actually showed up.
Now, Airhart is facing a charge of neglect or abandonment of a dependent person. If she’s convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison.
