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Parents sue over Bully Creek house fire that killed 8-year-old son

The Enterprise

A couple burned out of a Vale-area home a year ago in a fire that killed their son is suing the property owners for $7.4 million.

The fire erupted July 27 in the rental home occupied by Michael and Tiffany Kinard while the couple and their three children were asleep. All five were seriously injured escaping the fire, and 8-year-old Aiden Kinard died the following day.

The Kinards filed suit last Friday in Multnomah County Circuit Court in a case first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive. They are represented by Tim Helfrich of Yturri Rose in Ontario.

In their complaint, the Kinards claim that the Bully Creek Road house is owned by Flying Double F Ranch, a Maryland company, and a Maryland couple, James and Helen Farmer.

They said in the complaint the owners were negligent in not properly maintaining the electrical system in the house and that state fire investigators traced the fire’s cause to electrical fire. The complaint said there was only one smoke detector in the house. The parents slept in the basement and the three children upstairs.

Michael Kinard woke to the sound of the smoke detector and discovered a large fire in the upstairs living room. Police later said Kinard rescued his wife and then repeatedly went back into the burning house to rescue the three children.

All five were taken to Salt Lake City for treatment.

The lawsuit seeks payment for medical expenses of $1.4 million, lost income, and pain, suffering and “disfigurement” of Michael Kinard.