PHILADELPHIA – A local mother is working to raise money after her cousin and two children were killed in a rowhome fire in North Philadelphia earlier this week.
North Philadelphia rowhome fire
What we know:
Nidre Ayala, 46, Kateleya Garcia, 6, and Sebastian Rodriguez-DeJesus, 5, all died in a fire in North Philadelphia this week.
Officials said firefighters got to the scene around 1 a.m. to find the house billowing with smoke and flames.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Woman, 2 children dead in North Philadelphia rowhome fire
Ayala was found unresponsive on the stairs leading to the second floor; the children were found in an upstairs bedroom. First responders took all three to area hospitals, where they later died.
What they’re saying:
Now the children’s mother, Ayala’s cousin, is raising money to help bury her loved ones. In a GoFundMe campaign, relatives described their lost loved ones.
“Kateleya was in the first grade, and was a very smart girl,” the family wrote. “She had the most infectious laugh. Sebastian was in Pre-K and though he was quiet and shy, his heart was full of love. Everyone who met him felt his sweetness. Nidre was a very loving woman. She helped take care of generations of children in our family. She was very loving and generous. She would give you her last if you needed it.”
More information about the family’s fundraiser can be found here.
Dig deeper:
Fire officials said there were no working smoke alarms in the house at the time of the fire. Investigators are still working to determine what caused the fire.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Philadelphia Fire Department, a GoFundMe campaign for the three victims and previous FOX 29 reports.