GENEVA, Fla. – A grandfather ran back into a burning home in the middle of the night to save his 3-year-old grandson — pulling the toddler from smoke-filled rooms and escaping through a window.
The Seminole County Fire Department rushed to the home on East Osceola Road in Geneva early Friday morning. Wendy Baker tells News 6 that the fire in her brother’s home started in the attic above the kitchen and spread while the family was sleeping.
Baker said six people were inside when the fire broke out: her brother Gary, his wife Tami, Baker’s 22-year-old niece Kayla and her two young children — 19-month-old Nico and 3-year-old Luca, and her 12-year-old nephew Liam.
Baker said several family members never heard the smoke alarms.
“My sister-in-law, her daughter, they’re hearing impaired,” Baker said. “And my nephew, he’s hard of hearing as well.”
Baker said the family’s dogs woke them up. But by then, smoke had already filled the house and blocked the path to safety.
“My brother got up, he opened the door. There was smoke everywhere. He couldn’t see in front of him,” Baker said. “He broke the window in his room.”
Baker’s brother cut his hands, breaking through the glass to get people out.
“He had blood everywhere. He broke the window. He just grabbed, you know, my sister-in-law and, you know, took her through the window and my nephew as well,” said Baker.
Meanwhile, Baker’s niece was also trying to escape with both of her young children.
“She saw that there was a crawl space that she could — that there was not a lot of smoke — so she literally hit the ground. She was dragging the 3-year-old, she was holding the baby,” Baker said. “The 3-year-old got scared, got loose, ran back into the room.”
Baker’s niece made it out with the baby. The moment she did, she realized Luca was still inside.
“She was screaming. She was like, ‘Luca still in there? He’s still in there!” Baker recalled. “My brother literally ran back in.”
Baker’s brother re-entered the home — heading straight into the smoke.
“He was screaming, he was like, ‘Where are you?’” Baker said. “He heard him, and all of a sudden he didn’t hear him anymore.”
Baker’s brother dropped to the ground and crawled through the darkness, feeling for Luca. When he found him, the boy was unresponsive.
“He grabbed him. He ran out. They started giving him CPR,” Baker said.
Both the grandfather and Luca were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. Baker said 19-month-old Nico also required supplemental oxygen before he was stabilized and discharged. The entire family has since been released from the hospital.
The family also lost four dogs and four cats in the fire, according to Baker.
“You just work so hard for everything that you have, the memories that you make, you know, all gone within eight minutes,” Baker said. “He said it took eight minutes.”
Baker said her brother is devastated but trying to stay strong for his family. The plan is to eventually tear down what remains of the structure and rebuild on the same property — the home her brother worked hard to own.
“This is home for them. This is their property,” Baker said. “This is what they bought. This is what they have.”
Baker said the response from the community has been overwhelming. Within a day and a half of the fire, donations of clothing and supplies had already started pouring in.
“The community has answered so well. They have been amazing,” Baker said. “I just keep getting messages, messages and messages.”
The family still needs clothing and basic necessities. Baker has set up an Amazon wish list and a GoFundMe page to help them rebuild.