Daughter of Phoenix fire victim hopes to raise money to replace her father's necessities
PHOENIX - A Phoenix man is left without a place to call home and his wheelchair after a fire ruined his apartment on Dec. 3.
Now, his daughter is begging for help ahead of the holiday season.
A crumbling roof, soot lining the floor, and treasured possessions ruined. That's the aftermath, says Martha Hernandez, of her dad’s home.
The incident started around 11 a.m. Sunday. Phoenix Fire says crews received a call about a thick plume of smoke near 21st Avenue and Madison Street.
Immediately, firefighters sprung into action, attaching hose lines and searching for people inside.
Martha says her dad was in the unit next to where the fire started. Fire crews were able to pull him out safely, along with some cats.
One was successfully resuscitated using a Fido bag.
Martha says crews rushed her dad to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
"He is disabled. He did lose his wheelchair, all of his furniture, pretty much everything in the house was destroyed by the fire and water," Martha said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Meanwhile, at least three people were displaced because of the damage. The Red Cross is working to help them out.
Martha has also put up a GoFundMe to help out her dad as they're expecting some difficult days ahead.
"It is the holidays and he did lose a lot. So, if anyone has a wheelchair to kind of help him out with, that would be great, because a wheelchair and a walker is what he uses right now," Martha said.
Map of the area where the fire broke out: