A Florida couple and their 7-year-old son were killed while their three other children remain hospitalized after their Key West apartment erupted in a fire late Thursday, officials said.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, five people were stuck inside the burning apartment.
The fire was put out and the bodies of Jean Decimy, 41; Evelyn Pierre, 38; and 7-year-old Dave Decimy were located inside the structure.
The couple’s three other children, ages 14 and 5, were transported to Kendall Regional Hospital in critical condition.
Investigators said the Haitian family struggled to escape the fire that started at around 7 p.m. despite having working smoke detectors.
“I thought someone was fighting because I heard all this screaming and I came out the back door, and I just see blazing flames,” a neighbor recalled.
The neighbor saw the surviving kids escaping the home, saying their parents were still inside.
The blaze impacted eight families but the housing authority and Red Cross were working to provide housing.
“We’re looking to get them back now. Six of the seven families are back in today and one of the families in the next-door unit is still going to be displaced,” official Randy Sterling said
