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Mother tells of terrifying fire that nearly killed her son
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Mother tells of terrifying fire that nearly killed her son

RACINE COUNTY — Victoria Diaz didn’t expect to end her week at the children’s hospital with her son, but after her 4-year-old daughter nearly died in a fire Wednesday, she is here.

The mother of four told TMJ4’s Tahleel Mohieldin that while she was busy preparing for a day of family fun, there was some commotion outside that caught her attention.

“I hear screaming and shouting. I live on a busy street and there’s always something going on,” Diaz recalled. “But in my heart I feel like they’re talking to me.”

Victoria Diaz with 4-year-old Angel Perez at Children's Wisconsin

TMJ4 News

Victoria Diaz with 4-year-old Angel Perez at Children’s Wisconsin.

When she went to check, she found her home at Douglas Avenue and Yute Street in Racine on fire. Diaz’s first was of her son, Angel Perez, who was still inside.

Watch: Mother shares terrifying fire that nearly killed her son

Young boy seriously injured in fire

“I see smoke, flames, all this, and where is my son? So I’m looking for him, because he was literally there,” Diaz explained. “I look in the room, not there. I look in my room, not there, but I see flames. I look in the back room, I don’t see him at all.”

Diaz said that at the time, diagnosed with severe asthma, she felt dizzy and felt like she was going to pass out. So she went outside to get some air, but it wasn’t long before she went back inside the burning house in hopes of finding her son.

“Because a good mother would have died there saving her baby,” Diaz said, holding back tears.

Bystanders also tried to help, but in the end it was the firefighters who rescued the boy, who was hiding under his bed. His mother was still unsure of his condition.

“There’s nothing I can do right now, just pray. Believe and have faith,” Diaz said. “I want to thank everyone who helped.”

Diaz said she takes comfort in knowing her prayers have been answered. As of Friday, her son was breathing on his own, with “not a scratch” and was set to be moved out of intensive care.

She is now asking for help from the community to ensure her son has a home to go to when he is discharged. Diaz said she is choosing to trust again that there are people willing to help, grateful for the blessing she has been given thus far.

“Everything in the house is black. It’s burned to ashes. Where my son was hiding in his room, under his bed, that whole bed was not touched, it’s intact,” Diaz said, “which I believe was God’s hands holding him and protecting him.”

A new press release from the Racine Fire Department said the cause of the fire is not yet known. Two firefighters were injured while responding to the incident, with one requiring medical attention at a local hospital for a minor injury.

The fire caused an estimated $240,000 in damage to Diaz’s home and belongings.


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