'I told them we might have to jump': Mother discusses fire that displaced her family
The mother remembers the incident vividly. She said she was in her bed asleep when she was woken up by her oldest son.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)-- Telkessia Beverly and her two sons, ages 12 and 5, are among the 14 people displaced by an apartment fire that happened Thursday at the Santa Rose Apartment Complex.
The mother remembers the incident vividly. She said she was in her bed asleep when she was woken up by her oldest son.
“He came into my bedroom, and he told me, 'Mom, wake up. The house is on fire.' I got out [of bed]. I was confused because I was just getting out of sleep," Beverly said.
Authorities said when firefighters arrived, they saw flames stemming from an upstairs unit. The fire spread to a nearby unit. Beverly recalled walking out of her bedroom into the hallway and started smelling smoke. When she opened her front door, she saw the flames. Taking action immediately, she grabbed her two children to look for an escape.
“I raised the window up, and I kicked the screen. That’s when I saw everybody screaming, and I saw the fire trucks all out,” she said.
She explained the fire started to spread inside the apartment, and they needed to take action quickly.
“I told them we might have to jump, but then I was in the window just screaming at the firefighters, asking them to come and help us, and then they came with the ladder, and then we got down,” Beverly said.
She said ended up falling and burned the bottom of her leg, but she is doing fine. She said they lost everything from the fire, smoke, and water damage.
“We couldn't take anything,” she said. “Can you all just continue to pray for me and my kids; whatever they can give, I would appreciate it, but just keep the prayers coming.
Fire responders saved two people from their smoky apartment. Both units sustained a significant amount of fire damage. Authorities said an occupant who reported the incident said she had a pot of grease on the top range, and after going into another room, she noticed a burning odor and saw the fire in the kitchen. Authorities said no one was injured, but a dog died. Beverly is currently staying with a family member. This is an ongoing investigation.
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