13-year-old girl saves family from fire

With our news and production departments closed down last week for long overdue digital upgrades, we missed an important story out of Cayo. It involved a terrible tragedy and equally heroic act of courage by a young girl.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Just one hour into Christmas Day, disaster struck at the Garcia home on the road to the Baking Pot Ferry in the Cayo District. An unattended candle in a plastic cup set fire to the linoleum on the floor and then the foam mattress. Sleeping on the beds in the two room home were five children, ranging in age from three to thirteen.

Jessica Garcia, Fire Victim
?I put on the light seca my lee sista mi the cry cause she noh like sleep inna the dark, and that?s why I put it on. When I get up I done mi see the fire.?

Janelle Chanona
?As the children awoke in fear to the smoke and flames, it was the eldest among them, thirteen year old Jessica, who would repeatedly enter the burning building to save her siblings.?

Jessica Garcia
?I tek my lee sista first, then just that…?

Janelle Chanona
?And you took her outside and left her outside and then what happen??

Jessica Garcia
?I gone help my next bredda tek the next one.?

Janelle Chanona
?Did you feel yourself getting burnt??

Jessica Garcia
?No, I neva feel nothing till when they come out, when the breeze meh deh give, I feel it.?

What she felt were first and second degree burns cooking her flesh. And while baby Clarissa escaped unharmed, Jessica?s three brothers, eleven year old Jaime, eight year old Jose, and six year Pedrito were not so lucky.

Jaime Garcia, Fire Victims
?I only remember that the house ketch fire?

Janelle Chanona
?Where you scared when you saw the flames??

Jaime Garcia
Nods head, yes.

Janelle Chanona
?What were you thinking about when you saw the flames??

Jaime Garcia
?My lee bredda them.?

Jose Garcia, Fire Victims
?I get burn on my hand…?

Janelle Chanona
?It hurt you when the fire ketch you??

Jose Garcia
Nods head, yes.

Janelle Chanona
?Who came to get you??

Jose Garcia
?My sista.?

Fire blocked the path to the door, so Jessica and the other four children escaped through the window. Their father, Pedro Garcia, had been sitting on the front steps unaware of the catastrophe unfolding behind the closed door. But when he saw the smoke, he rushed to help, injuring himself in the process.

Within minutes the entire structure was engulfed in flames and the family could only watch helplessly as everything they owned went up in smoke.

Pedro Garcia, Father
?Lose everything, can?t tek out nothing. All the things weh we got ketch fire and burn.?

Since Christmas day, the family has sought refuge with relatives in the Santa Cruz area of Santa Elena. Many hands have helped to put up a makeshift addition…and a flashlight has replaced the need for candles.

Pedro Garcia
?Right now I need help that when they get cure, they come back to school, buy some shoes, some uniform for them and I noh have the money fu that and I want to see if I could come back again and buy them shoes and books. Only that I need right now and I wah try to do wah house too.?

The fire has highlighted the already challenging lives of the Garcia children. Two years ago they were abandoned by their mother and their father has not had steady employment, making things difficult at home.

Maria Garcia, Cousin of Fire Victims
?They don?t have any mother, so they have only their dad. And these children, well, they really need someone to take care of them, help, and you know, some more attention and caring.?

?Right now we are asking for like clothing, some little money for medication and if they could help us with some groceries for them because we have already received help from people.?

If you would like to help the Garcia family, please contact Maria Garcia at 602-8070 or Angel Garcia at the CARDI office at Central Farm.