1-year-old girl dies, parents injured after cooking starts house fire, NC officials say
A 1-year-old girl died after a house fire that left her parents in critical condition, North Carolina officials said.
Unattended cooking started the blaze that spread through the family’s duplex early Sunday, Jan. 26, David Welch, assistant fire marshal for the city of High Point, told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
Maria Ortiz, who lives next door, heard a “big boom” and saw smoke as the house burned, WGHP reported.
“I heard someone out here like calling, I guess trying to call for help,” Ortiz told the TV station.
First responders were called at about 1:30 a.m. to the home, where three family members were found unconscious and taken to medical centers, according to Welch and a news release from the High Point Fire Department.
The 1-year-old girl, who wasn’t identified publicly, died at a hospital.
As of Jan. 28, the child’s mom was in serious but stable condition. The dad is expected to be released from the hospital soon, Welch said.
Three people who lived on the other side of the duplex reportedly managed to escape the fire at the home, which didn’t have working smoke detectors. The building sustained thousands of dollars in damage, according to Welch.
“I can only imagine how both families are feeling,’’ neighbor Cord Jones told the News & Record.
