7-year-old killed in house fire, Texas family says. Space heater believed to be cause
A 7-year-old girl was killed in a mobile home fire believed to have been started by a space heater, her Texas family said.
Her parents and siblings escaped the blaze, but Delena Zuniga was not able to break free from her bedroom during the Jan. 18 fire in Valley View, according to WFAA. Valley View is about 55 miles northeast of Fort Worth.
“There are no words to describe the massive hole that has been left in our lives,” Delena’s aunt, Maegan Braudrick Self, said in a Facebook post.
The likely cause of the fire is a space heater, which Delena brought into her bedroom the night of the blaze, her father told KXAS.
Roger Zuniga told the outlet his 5-year-old son woke him up hours later, telling his parents Delena’s room was on fire.
The dad tried to use a hose outside the home to spray at the fire, but the water was frozen, KXAS reported.
He was unable to get inside Delena’s bedroom, suffering severe burns during his attempts, according to KDFW. Two of his sons were also burned.
“A police officer was first on scene and tried to make access, but it was too much fire involved in that end of the mobile home,” Cook County Fire Marshal Ray Fletcher told KDFW.
Delena died in her bedroom, family said.
“I just cannot believe we went from a normal life one day to this,” Delena’s aunt told WFAA.
Funeral services are planned for Friday, Jan. 26, in Denton.
The U.S. Fire Administration says portable heaters should be placed on a solid, flat surface at least three feet away from flammable items. The federal administration encourages people to check their heaters for damaged or cracked cords before using.
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