PALM BAY, Fla. – A 75-year-old woman and her 10-year-old grandson who were killed in a house fire in Palm Bay were identified Tuesday by authorities.
Palm Bay Fire Rescue identified the victims as Sherill Vandemaat and Noah Baus.
The two were trapped inside a home on Janus Road early Monday when a fast-moving fire broke out.
By the time firefighters arrived, the roof had collapsed and the structure was largely consumed by fire, Palm Bay Assistant Fire Chief John Ringleb said.
“They tried the front door, the back door, the windows,” Ringleb said. “The fire was just too big and too massive to be able to get into the home.”
A 54-year-old woman, who is the boy’s mother and the daughter of the 75-year-old woman, was in stable condition. She was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and later taken to a hospital.
Ringleb said the call was hard for first responders, who knew people were trapped inside but could not reach them.
Michelle, a neighbor who lives nearby, called it “devastating.”
“When somebody that young passes away, it’s just devastating,” she said.
Neighbors said the boy was well-known on the street and was often seen riding his bike and playing outside. Several residents who declined to go on camera said they were struggling to process the loss.
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office is currently conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.