Local family helps educate children on fire safety in memory of 9-year-old son

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte family is working to save lives while honoring the memory of a 9-year-old boy.

Michael Johnson died in an apartment fire in southwest Charlotte three months ago.

His guardian Dominique Bradley told Channel 9 about how she is using this tragedy to protect other families from the same heartbreak.

"A loving child, full of personality," Dominique Bradley said, describing Michael.

She was his legal guardian from the age of 5, until the day died at just 9 years old.

Michael and his 23-year-old cousin, Mechelle Morrison, both died after a cooking fire filled her apartment on Rose Thorn Place.

"It's emotional but you know at the end of the day, we're going to get through this we're going to continue to get through this and we're going to live Michael's legacy on," said Bradley.

Bradley is doing that by making sure children his age know his story and understand how to protect themselves from fire dangers. Michael was one of six people killed in house fires in Charlotte this year and most of the fires started in the kitchen.

A month after his death, Charlotte Fire told Channel 9 it's launching a major safety campaign.

In June, CFD crews joined the state fire marshal to test smoke detectors in local neighborhoods.  They visited more than 2,300 homes in one day.

Now, Bradley is partnering with CFD through her program Michael's House for a book-bag drive in Michael's honor to donate to kids at his elementary school.

She's working to fill them with supplies kids need for school and fire safety materials to help protect them at home.

"So no one has to feel the way we feel in the end and no child will feel the way Michael felt in his last moments," said Bradley.

Bradley is meeting with CFD Monday to continue ironing out the details of the campaign.

She plans on giving out those backpacks on August 19, marking what would have been Michael's 10th birthday.

You can learn how to get a smoke detector from the Charlotte Fire Department here. 

Cox Media Group