Why is this not a family story?

We just finished reading Out of the Dust in 6th grade. For me it was a reread, but reading it out loud and discussing it left such an impression, because of the real world connection I have.

In the story, Billie Jo's mother catches on fire and dies as a result of the burns. Billie Jo, in trying to rescue her mother, badly burns her hands. The guilt she feels and the pain and recovery that take place are important for the rest of the novel.

In my genealogy research, I discovered that my great-great grandmother locked herself in the barn and set it on fire. She died a day later as a result of the burns. The newspaper article I read said that a daughter pulled her out and suffered burns on her hands as well.

The frustrating thing is that the newspaper mentioned the daughter who pulled her out was 15. They had a son who was 15-- not a daughter. There isn't a daughter close to 15. Further, there are no mentions of scars in death records or draft records on any of the children, nor stories of the whole event.

Re-reading Out of the Dust made me think of the agony my great-great grandmother must have been in and what the person who pulled her out must have felt. Why is this not a family story?

Why. Is. This. NOT. A family Story?