Students restore photos after fatal fire

CINCINNATI – Family members of three boys and their grandmother killed in a house fire the morning after Christmas now have hundreds of photos salvaged from the blaze to help preserve memories of their loved ones.

About 260 photos, which were about the only items rescued from the Dec. 26 fire in Washington Court House, were restored by art conservation graduate students at the University of Delaware. Many of the photos were charred, covered in soot and stained by the water used to fight the blaze that took the lives of 60-year-old Terry Harris and her grandsons: Kenyon, 14, Broderick, 11, and Braylon, 9. Police had said the boys wanted to spend Christmas night with their grandmother so she wouldn’t be alone.

The state fire marshal’s office said Friday the cause of the blaze hasn’t been determined.

The restored photos were delivered to the family Friday in a tear-filled gathering in their hometown about 75 miles north of Cincinnati.

The boys’ father, Ricky Harris, told those gathered for the delivery of the photos that he was very grateful to have the photos that include ones of his sons and mother.