An early morning blaze that ignited in Miami Gardens has left an elderly woman with severe injuries, as her home on Northwest 157th Terrace caught fire just after 5 a.m. yesterday. Neighbors and responding firefighters witnessed the fire’s wrath as it consumed the residence, where the lady had lived for decades, leaving her hospitalized at Aventura Hospital for burns sustained, particularly on her arms, according to WSVN.
Firefighting crews returned to the scene hours later to monitor any possible hotspots that could reignite, following an initial attack on the flames which involved creating a ventilation hole in the roof; the city has since declared the house uninhabitable due to the extensive damage the fire delivered, as described in the same WSVN report, video footage showed soot-laden walls and a gashed roofline vividly marking the intensity of the fire.
Local resident Luis Escalante, in a statement obtained by Local 10, recalled the victim, known in the neighborhood as Gwen, as "a really good old lady," expressing sadness over the harrowing incident that followed closely after her birthday celebration. Escalante, who had never seen such a commotion in the two years of his residency, was among the neighbors awakened by the emergency.
Although firefighters managed to contain the blaze and stop it from spreading to nearby buildings, the aftermath left a safety notice posted on the front window, marking the start of what is expected to be a long recovery. Fire crews and relatives have been assessing the damage as investigators work to determine the cause.
