The 8-year-old girl managed to land safely onto a mattress she had thrown out of her three-story window.
What We Know:
- District Chief Frank Velez asserts that the cause of the fire is still under investigation. The occupants inside of the home were the children of a woman, who was working at the time of the incident. The three kids were allegedly under the watch of one of the neighbors, but Velez reports that he was not sure if they were present during the fire.
- When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found the 8-year-old girl outside after she leaped onto the mattress. Her siblings, five and two-year-old boys, were prepared to jump out of the window as well. If the firefighters had taken any longer, the boys would have followed their older sister out of the window and onto the mattress. The fire department was able to rescue the young boys and get them to safety.
- Chief Velez remarks that he was impressed by the 8-year-old’s quick wit in the life-or-death situation. He continued to describe that what she did was “quite innovative.”
“You’d be surprised on what an individual can do when you’re in that sympathetic and parasympathetic stage of fight or flight,” Velez explained.
- Additionally, Velez informed the public in a statement that the three children were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital and evaluated for smoke inhalation.
- Kellie Bartoli, a spokeswoman for Chicago police, revealed that no charges would be filed against the children’s mother. There’s not yet a cause for the fire, but a Chicago fire spokesperson alleges that the incident could have originated from the kitchen.
- Chief Velez emphasizes the bravery of the kids, stating “damn, these kids are smart.” He believes that kids don’t get enough credit for paying attention to safety drills in school because cases like this exemplify that they know what they’re doing.
It appears as though being able to remain calm and collected during an emergency is extremely important in determining what the aftermath looks like.
