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City Fire Victims Laughed Instead Of Crying
posted (October 26, 2016)

Recently, a number of the fires we’ve covered have been either very tragic or very heartbreaking. But  tonight, one family is able laugh at their pain after a toddler lit a mattress on fire, and it ended up burning up the contents of the entire room. 

The incident happened this evening at the home of City Council Worker Ines Jimenez, which is located on Hunters Lane. She was a short distance away, not even contemplating that a mishap like this one could happen. That’s when she received the fright of her life when she was called and told that her house was on fire. Luckily, the professionals were able to get it under control before it overtook the entire house, and destroyed all her belongings. 

She explained it to us this evening:

Inez Jimenez - Fire Victim
"This afternoon I the relax and ready to go da work when she phone me and say mommy, mommy the house the burn up. I said who, she say the house, I said house and I start to broke way. When she the tell me everything burn I say the house gone."

Reporter
"Did the fire department respond?"

Inez Jimenez - Fire Victim
"When ih the pass I holla oh *explicit* the house the burn down. I said somebody *explicit* house get *explicit* (laugh....). Da that I say."

According to report, it was her 4-year-old grandson who lit a mattress on fire in one of the bedrooms. The father of the child told us how it happened that the child managed to do this:

Voice of Freddrick Bradley - Fire Victim
"Me and young boy sit down comfortable and when we the sit down ih want watch cartoon so I said I will put on Scooby Doo make ih watch. So when I put on the Scooby Doo now I put ah the fi sit down they time I the cook and everything and sit down inna mi chair. I get up and as I turn mi back and walk towards the room door ya, I sit down on the bed. The lee baby the one year old come and like ih the try tell me something but I see ih run back so and when he run back so I get up and when I get up I look they so I see a big bright light I wa know how bright light deh inna the house and I no got nothing inna the house light. I walk they so and the whole mattress light up on fire and when it light up on fire I gone run for water. I grab the lee bwai same time between my arm and when I grab ah between my arm I bring ah outside and he mi done run outside, the one whe light up the fire done reach outside already. So all I could try and do is hurry out it because fire engine truck come after when I done out it, they come when ih the smoke. So I get through with all of that, things whe get burn I put outside but I just have to start back again with everything."

Reporter
"You were the one that live in that particular room?"

Voice of Freddrick Bradley - Fire Victim
"Well I deh inna this part ya, my son and they one stay inna that part they in their room."

Reporter
"How old is the baby that lit the fire?"

Voice of Freddrick Bradley - Fire Victim
"He only 4 years old."

Reporter
"Do you know exactly how did he get access to fire, I mean the lighter, match, a candle?"

Voice of Freddrick Bradley - Fire Victim
"I think da no really match or candle because we no use candle ya. He is a person right as you turn your back he does something mischievous, you have to always got around you. Some people say you can't beat yo pickni, human rights get in, this one get in but they no know whe the hell yo pickni the do on the street and they get in fi when you lash they; now if I mi turn round and lash he whe de mi wa do? They woulda deh up inna me."

Reporter
"Tell us a little bit about the damages to the house. We notice the room everything completely to ashes, how about the electrical parts? I see the zinc, the roof tell me more about that."

Voice of Freddrick Bradley - Fire Victim
"Those we have to try put back, da whe the headache come in for me to deal with. I can't do nothing else but try help myself. If somebody could help me then I no mind yes but I will try help myself as far as I could do it."

Very fortunately, no one was injured. 

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