“Please take care of your kids,” said grieving mother Dajuana Green. Family members, firefighters and residents were left devastated Sunday when fire ripped through a wood framed house at 2:36 p.m. April 23, leaving four children and teens and one adult dead. The scene on 208th Street, between 112th and 113th avenues in Queens Village, was both chaotic and heartbreaking as family members came to the scene to learn the news. Even seasoned emergency responders reacted emotionally to the biggest loss of life since a March 2015 fire claimed seven Brooklyn siblings.
Sunday, on the residential street in Queens, the screams of anguish and disbelief were piercing.
Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro revealed that four of the five victims were related, and the fifth victim was a friend of the other four. The NYPD identified those who perished as Destiny Dones, 20; Melody Edwards, 17; Jada Foxworth, 16; Rashawn Matthews, 10; and Chayce Lipford, 2.
Officials said that Dones and Matthews were pronounced dead at the scene. Edwards, Foxworth and Lipford were rushed to Jamaica Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, where they died.
Returning to the horrific scene one day later, a devastated Green told Channel 7 Eyewitness News that she “lost her son Rayshawn, her grandson Chayse and two cousins who she considered daughters.”
“Please take care of your kids,” she said. “Make sure your house has smoke alarms. Make sure they’re working. That’s what I was going to do. I was going to get smoke alarms, because my smoke alarms stopped working. So I was going to get brand-new ones and bring them back and put them up when I come in from work. I just want everyone to make sure they take care of their kids and make sure all their smoke alarms are working. Even the carbon monoxide.”
“Our city is in mourning today as we remember the victims of the tragic fire that took place in a Queens Village home yesterday afternoon,” said City Council Member I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans) Monday. “Five precious young lives are suddenly no longer with us, and their families and friends must now summon the courage to face this painful reality.”
Firefighter Khalid Baylor, first vice president of Vulcan Society, the Black firefighter affinity organization, was present on the scene Sunday. He told the Amsterdam News, “Whenever there is a loss of life, especially children, it hits home. It is very tragic. These are experiences that you never want to have, even the most experienced firefighters, who have seen a lot, are always very touched by scenes like this.”
The police department told the Amsterdam News, “Victim number 6, a male, was able to escape the location and was removed by EMS to Queens General Hospital, where he is expected to survive.”
Witnesses said that they saw Maurice Matthews, 46, climbing out of a second-floor window, and then as he held his head, talking about the trapped children, who some said were at the windows. Reportedly, he is the grandfather of Rayshawn and Chayse.
Witnesses said attempts were made to enter the burning home, but the flames were so intense rescuers could not enter as black smoke filled the air.
Zedias Mudzim was driving by when he saw the house in flames and called 911. He said, “I pulled over, and then I see a guy on the roof saying ‘Help! Help!’ and then I called 911, and then the guy jumped … All he said was, ‘That’s my grandson! That’s my grandson!’ That’s all I heard.”
Nigro said, “This fire moved so quickly.” He added that trying to knock down the second alarm blaze had firefighters making “a very daring and valiant push into that building to try and save the residents.” He continued, “They knew there were people inside, and we know that the firefighters on the scene did all that they could and more to try and save these children. Unfortunately, all of the people the firefighters were able to bring out perished.”
Published and broadcast reports state that there were no working smoke detectors in the home.
As the investigation continued among the charred ruins, authorities had not released the cause of the fire by Amsterdam News press time.
One report noted that a car outside the house was burnt out and a possible cause.
Police said, “No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio told the press, “Our hearts go out to this family. I’m asking all New Yorkers to keep this family in your prayers.”
Tweeting, the mayor said, “Our job now is to get down to the bottom of what happened and do everything we can to make sure that no family ever suffers like this again.”
Funeral arrangements have been announced for all the deceased.
Extended family members Chayse, Rayshawn, Jada and Destiny will have a wake and funeral Saturday, May 6, in one service at New Greater Bethel Ministries on Jamaica Avenue. At press time the funeral arrangements for Melody had not yet been announced.
Miller said in a statement, “As the details of this devastating event emerge, I encourage all of my constituents to, first and foremost, hug your loved ones a little tighter today, and then have a frank conversation with them about fire safety procedures. My office will work with the Fire Department and the Red Cross to share educational information to everyone in our district through door to door outreach, email and social media communications, and an upcoming community town hall.”
Baylor said, “Smoke detectors and carbon dioxide detectors are a small investment for the protection of life. As a parent I make sure that I have multiple smoke detectors in my house. My condolences go out to this family, the community and the neighborhood. Some of the members of the Vulcan Society reside in the area. we feel it for everyone who suffered this loss.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for the families.