Fire deaths highlight need for readiness

WESLACO — Dazed and short of breath, A.J. Olivo fumbled in the dark in search of his little brother. A raging fire had swiftly spread through their home as they slept, and the two young boys needed to find a way out.

They ran to their mother and eventually all three cowered inside a bathroom to distance themselves from the flames. When help arrived, Melva Martinez managed to push 7-year-old Andre through the room’s small window and into the waiting arms of police.

She and A.J. were too big to fit through.

Investigators believe the pair then ran to the woman’s bedroom, where she tried to lift 12-year-old A.J. and push him over a window’s air conditioning unit. But A.J. was drifting in and out of consciousness and the tall, plump boy was likely too heavy for Melva to carry alone.

That was Andre’s final memory of his mother and A.J.

"There are so many things going on around him," Robert Lugo said as he retold Andre’s story. Lugo, a close family friend and the father of Melva Martinez’s 18-year-old daughter, has been at the family’s side since the fatal fire on Oct. 10. Andre "does not truly understand" what happened that day, the man said.

When emergency crews finally got the blaze under control, the scene inside was heartbreaking. Melva Martinez’s lifeless body cradled her 12-year-old son’s, as if she had died trying to shield the boy from the inferno.

"Knowing Melva, she never would have abandoned anybody, especially her children," Lugo said. "She was always relentless in caring for her boys."

The mother and son’s deaths came the same day a 4-year-old boy succumbed to brain and lung damage caused by another house fire in Brownsville. Osvaldo Moreno, known as "Gotti" by friends and family, had been rescued from a burning apartment on the city’s east side earlier this month.

Neither home was equipped with even one working smoke detector — a basic safety device that Lugo believes could have saved those three lives.

"Every minute makes a difference," he said. "This would have definitely alerted that family by the time the smoke billowed up — it probably would have woken A.J. up."

According to statistics from the National Fire Protection Association, a home fire death occurs somewhere in the nation about every three hours. Home fires kill 540 children ages 14 and younger each year.

Investigators believe the Martinez family may have escaped the fire unscathed had Melva Martinez thought to remove her bedroom window’s air conditioning unit that morning. She likely panicked and didn’t think of it, though, said George Garrett, emergency management coordinator for the cities of Donna and Weslaco.

Fire officials say that besides maintaining working smoke detectors, families need to create an escape plan and have frequent fire drills to prepare for potential disasters.

"It needs to involve children physically opening windows and exit ways," said Edinburg Fire Chief Shawn Snider, who formerly served as president of the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas. "They need to lift up blinds, reach for windows."

The earlier a child begins to practice a way out, the more that plan will become ingrained in their memory.

"The subconscious kicks in and you get in survival mode instead of panicking and running into a closet and hiding," Snider said.

Above all, residents need to make sure they have functioning smoke detectors, the chief said. Although many homes in the Rio Grande Valley are equipped with the devices, a lot of them don’t work.

"The reason smoke detectors are so important is that once they are working and they are properly installed, they are the eyes and ears for human beings," Snider said. "They give you a greater chance to be adequately notified in time of smoke."

Many people are convinced the smell of smoke will wake them and alert them to a building fire in time to escape. Some don’t even think about the possibility of a fire claiming their lives.

"For a lot of people, fires are of minimal concern," Snider said. "They think: ‘It won’t happen to me.’"

But the chemical properties of smoke incapacitate people the more they inhale it, and smoke inhalation is the leading cause of death related to fires.

Lugo said last week’s fire taught him and those who knew Melva and A.J. not to take their safety for granted.

"At 4 a.m., I’d rather err on the side of caution," Lugo said. "I hope both their deaths are not in vain and someone tomorrow takes a minute and spends a few dollars. … It’s worth the lives of those you love."

STAY PREPARED

>> Invest in a smoke detector. They can run as cheap as $10, and they are generally easy to install.

>> Experts recommend installing at least one device per floor between the household’s sleeping quarters and living space.

>> For added protection, install a smoke detector in every room except the bathroom and the kitchen to avoid setting the device off while bathing or cooking. Many people disable smoke detectors when they are easily set off for these reasons. If you wish to place one in these rooms, install a heat detector instead.

>> Try to purchase devices that use both photoelectric and ionization detection.

>> Check batteries once per month.

>> Replace regular batteries two times a year. Lithium batteries can generally be replaced every five to 10 years.

>> If you can’t afford a smoke detector, visit your local fire department and ask if you are eligible to receive a free one. Through government grants, some departments offer free devices to elderly and low-income residents. Some can even help install them.

>> Practice fire drills with your family about once every two months.

Source: Edinburg Fire Chief Shawn Snider