Cause undetermined in Galveston house fire that killed 3, officials say

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Galveston home full of 30 years worth of memories is slated to be torn down Wednesday after a fire ripped right through over the weekend, killing three family members.

According to the Galveston Fire Department, the home on Sealy Avenue and 12th Street went up in flames Sunday at about 7:30 a.m.

Jason Sullivan, the couple's son, identified the victims as his mother, 77-year-old Frances Kelly; his stepfather, 83-year-old Martin Kelly; and his brother, 47-year-old David Kelly.

Sullivan said Martin Kelly raised him and his siblings "from childhood" and would have turned 84 this upcoming Wednesday.

On Tuesday, officials said the cause of the fire is undetermined due to the severity of the damage.

In an updated interview with Sullivan, he said his parents, who were born and raised in Galveston, bought the home when he was going into the Navy 30 years ago.

"It's the only house that all the grandkids and great-grandkids remember," he said. "This is the house that has all the memories, Christmases, Thanksgiving. This was the go-to place."

Now, Sullivan said equipment is being brought in from Houston to tear the house down.

"I think the height of the house is what's making it a little of a challenge to safely bring down without damaging these other peoples' homes," he said.

With heavy emotions, Sullivan said the final payment for the house was sent Tuesday morning. Now, he and his family are in the process of planning a funeral for their loved ones.

"I'm holding in there pretty good. We're trying to create obituaries for the three of them, which is a challenge. How do you sum up 50 years of memories into a few paragraphs? It's a challenge," he said.

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