Friends remember one of the victims in fatal St. Matthews residential fire
Posted February 10, 2026 5:37 pm.
Last Updated February 10, 2026 7:01 pm.
Friends of one of the victims of a fatal housefire over the weekend gathered on Tuesday. They described Tyana Nattaway as the mother of their friend group and someone taken from them too soon.
“Tayana was just a great person. She was our best friend. She loved everyone. She cared very deeply about everyone she came into contact with,” said Samantha Lill, a close friend.
Jacob Grainger, another close friend, said, “She was one of the kindest people, and she would always give hugs no matter how you were feeling.”
Nattaway was just 18-years-old. She was living in the home with her mother, siblings, and grandmother at the time.
Lill, Grainger, and Rylan Kowalchuk have been close friends with Nattaway since Grade 9 and watched her grow over the years.
“In Grade 9, when I first met her, she barely spoke. And in Grade 12, she’d be the life of the party, pretty much. She’d always be laughing, she’d always be smiling with us. She’s been through some tough shit, but …she could combat it with us… and it made us feel good that she felt safe with us,” said Lill.
Her friends said she always made sure everyone had the things they needed. Food, a jacket, someone to hang out with, or even just a shoulder to cry on, and that’s the type of person she’ll be remembered as.
“I just wanted everyone to know and those who knew her to remember what a beautiful soul she was,” said Kowalchuk.
Lill added, “She loved smoking, so I have a painting of a cigarette. And it’s never goodbye. It’s I’ll see you again one day…everyone meets up again for a big hangout.”
A 48-year-old woman also died in the house fire. The cause of the fire is still unknown, and the major crimes unit is investigating.
