Brooklyn girl, 9, killed as inferno tears through three-story home on her sister’s first birthday
A Brooklyn family planning for a birthday celebration was instead facing a funeral after a 9-year-old girl was killed when a massive Friday morning fire tore through their home.
Payton Thompson died on the day of her little sister’s first birthday when the early-morning blaze spread quickly to the top floor of the three-story building where she was sleeping, said family members and fire officials.
The 9-year-old was the last of the residents removed from burning building, said her uncle Joseph Thompson.
“... Unfortunately, she didn’t make it,” he told the Daily News. “[Her sister] is one year old today and her big sister Payton passed away.”
The little girl’s mother rode with her in the ambulance that took her to the hospital, Thompson said as he shared fond recollections of his niece, who left behind her tiny sibling Lauren Bell.
“She’s [an] amazing young girl, amazing,” said Thompson. “Smart, funny, the life of the party. Very sassy attitude, and because she’s a girl, she’s going to let you know. She loves to have fun, she likes to eat, she loves her family ... She just loved making friends.”
The fast-moving three-alarm blaze began about 5:20 a.m. inside the home on Howard Ave. near Blake Ave. in Brownsville, said FDNY Deputy Chief James Carney.
“The initial call was for an odor of smoke,” said Carney. “When we arrived there was heavy fire on the second floor.”
Neighbor Nigel Brown, 54, said the street was filled with FDNY trucks “from top to bottom” when he first saw the flames and the first responders.
“It’s a sad morning,” he said before recalling the lost child. “A very energetic girl. I’m here contemplating how she could be overpowered, but that kind of smoke will overpower the most agile of anyone. I wish I could have done something to help.”
The fire moved to the third floor, where Payton was found in the back of the building.
Thompson said his infant niece was was treated at the scene, with black soot coming from her nose.
“Everything seemed to be OK,” he said. “She’s well, thank God.”
Dr. Burchell Marcus, a community director and Brooklyn advocate, said the victim was the homeowner’s granddaughter.
“They woke up to the fire. The family made it out, but a granddaughter died of smoke inhalation,” Marcus said. “The fire engulfed the house pretty good.”
Thompson, a chef who learned of the fire in a devastating pre-dawn phone call, said he last spoke with his late niece on Thursday when she thanked him for making her a meal of barbecued ribs and cornbread one day earlier.
“She gave me a big hug,” he recounted. “It’s a moment I’ll cherish forever.”
The cause of the fire was under investigation Friday as the family struggled to make sense of the tragedy.
“Nothing that any of us can do will bring her back,” said Thompson. “Love on your families, love on your children, your brothers and sisters, young or old. Because you never know.”
