KEY WEST, Fla. (DDN) – First responders rushed to the site of a tragic fire in a Key West residence.
It occurred Thursday evening in a three-bedroom unit of a public housing complex at 1010 Emma St. in the island’s Bahama Village district.
According to police, the blaze killed two adults and one child. They were identified Friday as Jean Decimy, 41, Evelyne Pierre, 38, and Dave Decimy, 7. A video obtained at the scene shows numerous people surrounding the residence frantically trying to aid. Witnesses can be heard saying that other people are still inside the house.
“The flames moved so quickly. Millicent Weech, a neighbor, said it was astonishing. “In all the years we have lived here, we have never seen anything like this.”
According to Key West Fire Department Chief Alan Averette, three more children were transported to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital for burn treatment and smoke inhalation. They have been named as Jean Decimy, 14, Sanaika Decimy, 13, and Sadrac Decimy, 5.
He stated that one of the surviving children was in critical condition as of Friday morning.
According to neighbors, the entire family was upstairs when the fire broke out downstairs, making escape difficult. To escape, one of the children upstairs leaped out a second-floor window and landed on concrete.
Averette suspected smoke inhalation was to blame for the victims’ deaths.
“Smoke is fatal. The smoke is what knocks them down. The smoke is quite harmful. And, you know, once the smoke got into their lungs, they all went down, and they were burned as well,” he continued. “I think the smoke is what took them down.”
According to officials, the victims are Haitian.
“People tried to aid them, but there was a language barrier, so no one understood what they were saying. But people were attempting to help,” said Lucie Vega, a neighbor. “Someone rescued a young boy from the fire. But, I mean, he died, and the little girl rushed out and said, ‘Oh, my parents, my parents, my parents.’ And she answered, ‘I made the fire,’ implying that she was in it.
Neighbors complimented Key West police officers and firefighters for being to the site within minutes and attempting to save the victims.
Authorities said the American Red Cross came Thursday night to help anyone who had been displaced by the fire find a place to stay. “This is tragic for everyone,” Weech remarked.
Averette stated that it is too early to speculate on the cause of the fatal fire. Neighbors speculated that due to the chilly conditions, a space heater could be to blame.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is currently conducting an investigation.
The unit is declared a total loss, with no adjoining units damaged.
Reference: ‘This is tragic’: 2 adults, 1 child die after fire erupts at Key West home
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