Photo courtesy of WVTM News.
Waniki Fox died just days after her seven-year-old granddaughter, Za’Niyah, passed away after a house fire in Center Point, Ala.
Fox and her granddaughter were found on Dec. 5 in a bedroom of the house unresponsive.
The fire reportedly began around 6 a.m. on the 2700 block of Seventh Place N.E. According to AL.com, Fox’s teenaged son escaped the burning house. He was downstairs in the home’s basement when he heard the fire alarm go off.
After the teen could not help his mother and niece get out of the house, he called 911. He told firefighters where they were located inside the home. Chief Gene Coleman told reporters that the house was ablaze when firefighters arrived on the scene.
Coleman noted that it is important to sleep with doors closed and have smoke detectors. Investigators believe the fire started in the kitchen.
“This made a difference in this young man’s life,’’ he said.
Za’Niyah died on Dec. 5 at the Children’s of Alabama hospital at 7:07 a.m. Forty-one-year-old Fox passed away at the University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital just two days after being rescued from the blaze.
Family and friends released balloons into the sky to honor Fox and Za’Niyah on Dec. 9 in front of the house, which was destroyed. Five other children lived in the home and have lost their grandmother, sister and home. Fox’s son was upset but not physically injured.
Za’Niyah’s grandfather Rodney Threadford said his granddaughter was always happy.
“She was happy all the time,’’ he said. “She loved everybody.”
A GoFundMe was set up to help with funeral and other expenses and has received about half of the $10,000 goal. The fire appears to be accidental and is being investigated by the Alabama State Fire Marshal.