Inset: Stephen Kuehl, his wife Stella Kuehl and their three children (GoFundMe). Background: The Airbnb rental property in Juneau County, Wisc., where Stephen Kuehl’s family members, including his wife and 5-year-old daughter, were killed in a fire (WGBA/YouTube).
A weeklong vacation for the Fourth of July turned into a nightmare for a family of 19 last year when the Wisconsin cabin they rented through Airbnb went up in flames, killing six — including three children. Now, they’re suing the home sharing company for not having smoke and carbon monoxide detectors inside the property that were “sufficient in number, sufficiently located, and/or functioning,” their lawsuit says.
Attorneys for Stephen Kuehl, who lost his wife of 15 years, Charis Kuehl, and their 5-year-old daughter, Stella Kuehl, say the Airbnb they were staying in with relatives was “not appropriately licensed or inspected” under applicable Wisconsin and Juneau County regulations governing rental properties.
It was a Sunday, June 30, 2024, when the fire engulfed their cabin near Necedah, Wis., less than 36 hours after the family checked in, according to their legal complaint. Stephen Kuehl’s father-in-law, Steven Witte, died in the blaze along with his adult daughter, Lydia Witte, and two of his granddaughters, ages 8 and 2.
“[The family] spent Saturday, June 29, 2024, at the cabin, relaxing, swimming, and socializing,” the complaint says. “After a long day of fun and fresh air, [the family] went to bed, never imagining the tragedy that was about to unfold in mere hours.”
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
According to Stephen Kuehl’s lawyers, his wife Charis awoke to flames ripping through the residence around 2:30 a.m. while everyone was sound asleep.
“Fire! Fire!” Charis Kuehl screamed, per the complaint.
“As Stephen woke up and opened his eyes, he saw flames through the windows of the second-floor bedroom,” the complaint says. “Panicked, Stephen and Charis quickly got out of bed and gathered their three children. The youngest of the three [Stella] … ran to her mother, and Charis scooped her up. Stephen gathered [the two others] from the top bunk, and they quickly escaped from the bedroom, with Charis and [the youngest child] close behind.”
As Stephen and the two older kids descended the staircase to the cabin’s main floor, Charis — still holding Stella — elected to stay upstairs to wake up and warn others about the fire. Smoke was billowing through the front door and the front porch was ablaze, “rendering the Cabin’s back door the only possibly safe egress,” according to the complaint. Stephen and his children escaped out the back door, along with a number of other relatives.
“Soon after their exit, the fire overcame the front door and front windows, making the staircase landing functionally impassable for the others still stuck upstairs, including Charis and [Stella],” the complaint says. “Although Charis, [Stella], and the others desperately searched for an alternative escape route upstairs, the fire pursued them up the stairs and the smoke became overwhelming. Ultimately, five members of the Witte family were trapped upstairs by the fire and unable to escape.”
Stephen Kuehl alleges that none of his family members were woken up by the sounds of a fire or smoke detector. His attorneys say that upon further inspection, it was discovered that the cabin was not appropriately licensed or inspected.
“The cabin did not contain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that were sufficient in number, sufficiently located, and/or functioning — if any at all,” the complaint asserts. “A sufficient and functioning fire detection system would have saved the lives of each of [the family] members sleeping in the cabin that night. Mere seconds would have made a difference.”
The Keuls and Wittes are described by their attorneys, who are part of the Quarles Law Firm, as a “large extended family that makes a concerted effort to get together at least biennially for the purpose of connection and communion,” per the complaint.
Quarles sent out a press release last week saying three generations of Keul and Witte relatives had gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July.
“The tragedy could have been prevented if Airbnb ensured that properties it advertises, promotes and rents for use by the general public are appropriately licensed for rental and inspected by local authorities for fire safety,” the release says.
Stephen Kuehl’s lawsuit names Airbnb, insurance firm Generali U.S. Branch, Travelers Personal Insurance Company and the owners of the Airbnb property where the incident occurred as defendants. He is suing on behalf of himself and the Wittes.
“I am on a mission to do what I can to help prevent other families from experiencing what we did,” Stephen Kuehl, who is from Minnesota, said in a statement that accompanied his lawyers’ press release last week.
“I had hoped to work with Airbnb and advocate for policy changes behind closed doors, but Airbnb has been largely unresponsive to our inquiries,” Stephen Kuehl said. “Since they do not wish to hold themselves accountable in these matters, I filed a lawsuit in Juneau County Circuit Court so that the legal system can hold them accountable.”
Airbnb’s current policy does not require smoke, fire and carbon monoxide detectors to be inside their rental properties. The company’s website states that it is “on a mission to get alarms into as many listings as possible,” but it is not required.
“We strongly urge hosts to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in spaces that use fuel-burning appliances, test them regularly, and make sure their listing description is up to date,” the Airbnb website says.
The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
