PALATKA, Fla. – One day after a residential fire in Putnam County killed three people and consumed their home, the sheriff’s office provided an update on the condition of the other people who were inside.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Carolina Gomez, 27, Elizabeth Hernandez Gomez, 7, and Jesus Hernandez, 18 months, are in critical condition at UF Health Shands Gainesville.
Deputies added that Elizabeth managed to escape from the home and ran to a neighbor’s house, alerting them to call 911.
Family members told officials that the 7-year-old stayed home from school that day because of a medical appointment scheduled for later that morning.
The fire broke out on North Maryland Avenue near Cynthia Street in Palatka on Monday morning and claimed the lives of three people, brothers Fernando Hernandez Mendez, 31, and Enrique Hernandez Mendez, 33, and 4-year-old Angel Enrique Diaz Perez, who was found not breathing by medics and died at the hospital despite resuscitative efforts.
State Fire Marshal Clu Wright said he has investigated some pretty bad fires during his career, however, he added that this one ranked with some of the worst.
“It definitely ranks up there as one of the worst with the large loss, but we’re going to treat it like every other fire and we’re going to investigate it like every other fire and give it the utmost attention,” Wright said.
The property owner, Alice Crews, said the affected family members are good people who need help.
“They have absolutely nothing. They lost everything. Everything. Including family members,” Crews said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with medical expenses, which can be found by clicking this link.