(StraightNews.org) – A mother and her baby died in a house fire in Houston, Texas, after the heroic mom rescued her two other children. Giovanna Cabrera saved her 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter from the flames, then returned to the house for her 1-year-old baby but did not make it back out. Firefighters found the dead mother holding her baby. Her sister Giselle Bueno told reporters, “She had him in her arms … I know she tried.”
The local community has come together to help the surviving children, and a GoFundMe account raised $24,000 within days.
The fire broke out in the early morning of February 3, and the Houston Fire Department said it is unsure how it started. Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said the deaths were “heartbreaking” and stated that his department advises people to stay out of a burning building once they manage to escape, but added, “How do you tell that to a mother whose child is inside the home?”
In a Facebook post, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the city would “make sure this family has the support they need in their time of grief.”
Firefighters visited the area to share safety information and emphasize the importance of smoke detectors and escape plans. Chief Peña said his team installed dozens of smoke detectors in neighborhood homes and tried to reassure the community.
According to figures from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there are almost 360,000 house fires in the United States annually, just over 2,600 deaths, and more than $7 billion in property damage. The NFPA states that between 2016 and 2020, cooking was the leading cause of house fires, followed by faulty heating equipment, electrical and lighting equipment, smoking, and arson.
While most fires start in kitchens, living room blazes cause more deaths, with the most flammable items listed as upholstered furniture and mattresses. The association also says that most fires occur in the winter when people are indoors, and heating appliances are frequently used.
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