NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Devastated loved ones are reeling one day after flames sparked inside a mobile home in Northwest Miami-Dade, trapping an elderly couple inside, with tragic results.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the blaze near Northwest 27th Avenue and 76th Street, just before 10 p.m. on Thursday.
“Got two people inside trapped. Crew, make your way to the rear of the structure,” said a first responder in radio transmissions.
Cellphone video captured flames ripping through the home.
“A lot of people are suffering now, because, you know they’re good people,” said a witness who spoke with 7News.
A witness said neighbors tried to rescue the couple before fire rescue arrived.
“It felt devastating. You know, it was something wrong. The fire started going off, a lot of my friends ran up to the trailer, tried to open it up, you know, it couldn’t open up. It wasn’t enough time,” he said.
Another witness, Jefrin, described what he saw.
“Some people got on top of the roof, like, of the house right next to it. They were putting holes in the roof,” he said, “and then some other people were getting buckets of water, and they were just throwing it to the window, but it didn’t help at all.”
MDFR crews arrived minutes later to find an elderly woman dead in the back of the trailer.
“Making way to the room in the rear of the truck, ’cause we’re getting reports of a wheelchair-bound victim,” said a first responder in radio transmissions.
Firefighters were able to pull out an elderly man. Family members identified him as Frank Pinera.
Paramedics rushed the surviving victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
Friday morning, Pinera’s brother walked toward the charred remains of the mobile home. He told 7News that he doesn’t understand how this happened.
“I don’t know,” he said.
Speaking in Spanish, the victim’s brother said Pinera is a good person who doesn’t cause problems and works hard.
Neighbors said they are devastated.
“He always helps out the neighbors, the homeless people out in the street,” said the witness who didn’t give his name.
“It was sad, ’cause the guy had helped me, like, teach me how to ride a bike,” said Jefrin.
Investigators are attempting to determine the cause of the fire.
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