Tragic death of little Rozae Fitzgerald: Orange Park apartment fire claims boy's life, mom on life support
ORANGE PARK, FLORIDA: In the Orange Park apartment fire at 400 Bentwood Lane on Monday, 26 December, the two victims now identified as Alexis Fitzgerald and her son Rozae Fitzgerald were rushed to the hospital after being taken out by firefighters. While Rozae died, Alexis remains in critical condition on life support with severe burn injuries.
The Clay County Fire Rescue, reportedly at the time confirmed that two people were transported to Orange Park Medical Center because of the fire, without identifying them. “A firefighter went through the second-story window in the bathroom,” a neighbor Gary Nesenoff told News4Jax when the fire blazed. He was unsure of whether the child who was pulled out by the firefighter after breaking out the window, survived or not.
READ MORE
Crews are responding to a fire at a residential structure located at the 400 block of BENTWOOD LN.
— Clay County Fire Rescue (@ClayFireRescue) December 27, 2022
Please avoid this area.
In the apartment blaze that left the family shattered with little Rozae's loss, the report quoting Alexis’ fiancé and Rozae’s father said they were expecting Alexis will be taken off life support on Tuesday night.
The neighbors have also expressed concern and wondered whether the cold weather contributed to the fire, but the state fire marshal has not announced an official cause, the outlet noted. “Because it’s so cold, that could be the reason why. I mean we have chimneys over here in these apartments. But I don’t know if they have them over there, a neighbor as per the report said.
While the witnesses have claimed the firefighters did everything in their capacity to rescue the duo, fate had something else in store. The witnesses also claimed that the apartment was filled with huge clouds of smoke which they suspect may have been the actual cause of the death.
On GoFundMe, Erica Brown has posted a fundraiser appeal for help with medical bills, clothes, food, and a new apartment for her niece Alexis and McKenzie and for the funeral of nephew Rozae and Alexis' fiancee Wayne as "they have lost everything" in the fire the day after Christmas. "My nieces were life-flighted from Orange Park to Gainesville burn clinic and are currently still in the hospital being seen," Erica wrote on the fundraising platform. She asked, "please keep praying for the girls and Wayne and keep my whole family in your prayers as we deal with this difficult time".
