Counseling support available to students and first responders after fatal house fire

A devastating Christmas Morning House fire in Kingsport on West Valley Drive resulted in the deaths of two young girls, Riley and Maggie Blevins. Their mother remains in critical condition following the tragedy. The girls had been students at Boones Creek Elementary School. Washington County Schools Superintendent Jerry Boyd said Monday that once students return to school, counseling options will be widely available to both faculty and students. Boyd also said that the school will be partnering with Frontier Health for the availability of mental health support specialists, and the families of Riley and Maggie will get full access at any time. Fall Branch Volunteer Fire Department’s Chief Jim Dawson, who was at the fire scene Thursday morning, said the Sullivan West Fire Department will host a “critical incident stress debriefing” for all departments and responders on the scene Christmas morning as a means for them to ensure they receive proper counseling. The debriefing is set for Tuesday at around 7 p.m. for all departments and agencies involved in the response to Thursday morning’s call.