Mourners remember six fire victims

WASHINGTON— A memorial service was held Saturday for six people who died in a tragic New Year's Day house fire in the District.

About 1,000 mourners packed Greater Mount Cavalry Holy Church on Rhode Island Avenue to pay their respect to the victims. Traffic in the area was snarled for hours as mourners made their way to the church.

Family and friends cried uncontrollably as they watched each of the six open caskets close at the end of the service.

It was 10 days ago, that a fire destroyed Oscar and Michelle Wilson's two- story home on Jackson Street in Northeast.

Tawana Gantt, 22, and her boyfriend and Keith Nelson, 23, along with their 4-year-old daughter Kaniya Nelson-Gantt all attended Night watch services at the church on New Year's Eve. They recently moved into the Wilson's home and never made it out of the basement.

Councilman Harry Thomas of Ward 5 said Gantt was like a daughter to him. She worked on his staff.

Charles Smith, 72; Oscar Wilson III, 11; Joseph Wilson, 10, also perished in the fire.

Fire officials blame faulty wiring between the basement ceiling and the first floor of the house for starting the blaze. It is the worst residential fire in recent memory in the city.

The Wilsons were not hurt in the fire.

This is not the first time that tragedy has affected the Wilson family. Their daughter, Taleshia Ford, was killed at the age of 17 when a stray bullet struck her outside a Northwest Washington club on Jan. 20, 2007.

(Copyright 2009 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)