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An apartment fire on Emma Street the evening of Jan. 23 devastated a local family, killing two parents and one child, 5. Three other children were severely injured and taken to mainland hospitals, where 7-year-old Sadrac Decimy succumbed to his injuries on Jan. 25, bringing the death toll to four.
The fire claimed the lives of Jean Decimy, 41; Evelyne Pierre, 38; Dave Decimy, 5 and Sadrac Decimy, 7. Two older children — Jean Decimy, 14, and Sanaika Decimy, 13 — remain in the hospital being treated for smoke inhalation and burns and were in stable condition as of Jan. 28, according to Key West police.
The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the tragic blaze that engulfed Unit 6C in Fort Village Apartments, a public housing complex operated by the Key West Housing Authority at Truman Avenue and Emma Street. The investigation could take a few weeks, said City of Key West spokeswoman Alyson Crean.
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Reports indicate that the family was upstairs when the fire started, making their escape difficult.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy, and people are still wrapping their heads around it,” Randy Sterling, executive director of the Key West Housing Authority, told the Keys Weekly on Jan. 24 after working all night to ensure that all other residents from the complex’s five other units were safely housed. “This community has and will continue to do what it always does, by coming together to help in times of crisis, be it a fire, a hurricane or anything else.
“My maintenance director, who isn’t from Key West, told me he’s lived in other communities, and has never seen or experienced this type of community response. The mayor and city officials were with me last night with the Red Cross, which stepped right up and set up a sort of response center at the community center across the street to figure out what needed to be done and what people needed. But obviously, this tragedy has devastated a family and the needs will be ongoing.”
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Sterling also credited Key West Fire Department for its quick and skilled response, which kept the fire contained to Unit 6C in the concrete block structure that was built in 1942. Fort Village includes a total of 84 units in multiple buildings, according to the housing authority website. There are six units in the building where the fire was located.
“We were able to find housing for everyone last night, because obviously all six units in that building had to be evacuated, but thanks to the fire department’s efforts to contain the blaze, we should be able to get at least four of the other families back in their homes today,” Sterling said, adding that the unit directly next door to 6C will take longer for the residents to return. The housing authority and Red Cross are ensuring they have a place to stay.
Laura Stilley, a relative of the Decimy family, started a GoFundMe page to raise money for “funeral services, child care, clothing, food and other essential needs.” As of Jan. 28, the community had donated over $77,000. To contribute, visit gofundme.com and search “Support for Decimy Family After Tragedy,”
Stay tuned to keysweekly.com and to the Keys Weekly’s Facebook page for the latest information about how to help.