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Who is Desire Reid? New Jersey apartment fire kills siblings as girl, 11, tries to save 8-month-old brother

The little girl, identified as Desire Reid, tried to save her brother Keyon Robinson who was sleeping in a bedroom upstairs when the blaze ignited. Both siblings could not be saved

JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY: An 11-year-old girl and her baby brother died after a devastating fire burned down their home. According to officials, the little girl, identified as Desire Reid, died while trying to save her eight-month-old brother, Keyon Robinson who was sleeping upstairs, from the dangerous blaze. However, their mother Angie Reid and their six-year-old brother managed to get out of the burning house and save themselves.

At around 11 pm on Wednesday, February 10, night, the fire broke out on the first floor of the residence at 470 Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City, according to a Daily Mail report. When firefighters arrived at the scene for the rescue operation, they were confronted by heavy fire and smoke conditions.

They soon entered the house, where they found an unresponsive Desire, who was declared dead at the scene. Keyon was transported to Jersey City Medical Center, but could not be saved and he died before 12.25 am.

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The kids’ mother Angie and six-year-old brother who escaped the house before firefighters responded to the scene were unscathed. The woman’s surviving son first noticed the fire and then woke up his mother and she took him outside the house, authorities stated. The mother also desperately tried to save her other children, but the door locked behind her.

Lori Reid, Angie's aunt, said her niece “tried running back in”. She also stated that Angie “took care of her kids and worked hard as a single mother”. “She worked at the post office,” Lori added, who was called to the scene by her niece after the fire ignited. After finding the mother distraught, Lori reportedly told her, “You still have somebody to live for,” referring to her surviving kid. “He needs you.”

Describing the fire, Fire Chief Steven McGill told Jersey City Times, “If you see the video, there’s a lot of fire on that ground floor. It went directly upstairs into the hallway. Although there was not a lot of fire on the upper floor, it was probably 1200 degrees up there. Nobody would have survived.” It has been said that within 40 minutes of their arrival, firefighters managed to control the fire, leaving the facade of the grey-and-yellow building covered in soot.

The blaze also affected three cops who were present at the scene. They were provided treatment for smoke inhalation. A statement from the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office read, “The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation. The cause and manner of death is pending with the Regional Medical Examiner.”

Neighbors said the flames quickly swallowed the home, and they tried their hardest to evacuate, according to a CBS report. Meanwhile, people who know Angie described her as a caring mother. Neighbor Krystle Bey, 38, called the woman “truly a good person” who “really loved her kids.”

“I know all three kids, very loving kids, very well taken care of, and it’s just a sad situation,” Bey added. Another neighbor, identified as Alice Jones, described the horrifying scene as the fire broke out. She said she saw the mother screaming “Help me, help me!” when firefighters arrived. “She was nice, very quiet, she kept to herself and she took care of her kids. This is the first time I had ever seen a fire like this. It was real heavy. There were flames coming out the window,” she added.

People who knew the family took to social media to express their sorrow. They also prayed for them. “Please keep the reid [sic] family in your prayers especially my cousin Angie Reid. I'm so sorry for your lost cuz [sic] I'm lost for words right now,” Keema Chresse Reid said.

A user wrote, “GOD WE NEED YOU ASKING ALL PRAYER WARRIORS TO KEEP MY GREAT NIECE Angie Reid IN YOUR PRAYERS.”

Another added, "(My thoughts and prayers are with the family @JerseyCity I know their pain and we can get through this together."