Deaf Woman Escapes Fire By Jumping Through Second Story Window
Dena Richardson / KFOX News Reporter
March 6, 2010
EL PASO, Texas — Cindy Chavarria escaped a massive fire in her Pinon Trails
apartment building with only a few scratches, a feat not possible without a
special smoke detector.
“She wouldn’t have been able to hear anything. She wouldn’t have known
anything. She’s really grateful,” said Jazmin Espinoza, who translated her
sister’s sign language.
Chavarria is deaf and lives alone. She said her smoke detector, equipped for
the hearing impaired, alerted her to the fire.
“She first noticed it when she saw the fire alarm flashing,” said Espinoza.
Chavarria opened her door, saw the shooting flames and jumped through her
second floor window, in fear for her life.
“She was really scared,” said Espinoza. “She didn’t know what to think. She
was like… ‘I don’t know if I was going to make it out on time.’ She didn’t
know what to do.”
Lt. Mario Hernandez said it took more than 15 units and 50 firefighters to
put out the flames. The apartment building, which had eight units, was fully
engulfed when fire crews arrived.
“The fire station is about a block away,” said Hernandez. “So that tells you
how quickly the fire spread.”
All of the residents made it out safely. Firefighters did rescue a dog
trapped inside one unit. Two other dogs that were trapped inside a first
floor apartment died.
Freddy Martinez, disaster services manager for the American Red Cross El
Paso area, said some residents had guests in town so the agency will help
around 35 people all together.
Martinez siad the apartment manager had agreed to place residents in other
units within the complex.
As for Chavarria, she thanked the apartment manager for originally
suggesting the special smoke detector that saved her life.
“I wish to tell the deaf community that that fire alarm is very
important,” said Chavarria. “And that’s why I have one, and I think all
homes should have one.”
Four apartment units were heavily damaged in the fire. The damage has been
estimated at $1 million for the building and its contents.
The fire has been ruled an accident. Investigators believe a man was heating
oil to cook chicken when the oil became too hot, catching the kitchen,
including the exhaust, on fire.