Avoca Neighbors Try to Save Toddler From Fire
By: Cassidy Hodges
Updated: April 7, 2012
"Everybody's just sad and I'm guessing the reason why it's raining today is because of her," says Chris Deleon, who lives in the neighborhood.
A toddler, loses her life in a trailer fire near Avoca in Benton County.
"My husband come in and said Kendra the neighbor's house is on fire, so I grabbed my phone and called 9-1-1," says Kendra Watkins, a next door neighbor.
While on the phone with emergency dispatch Friday night, Kendra informed them someone was inside the burning house.
"They were looking for the little girl, calling for her and stuff. It's just hard because you can't do anything but just sit there and watch it," says Watkins.
"When we got down there the whole house was engulfed," says Jerry Robinson, a neighbor.
Meanwhile other folks were trying to help
"Me and my neighbor went around the house and broke the windows to see if we could see anything and I stuck my head in the house and called her name, but I couldn't seen anything, it was all pitch black," says Deleon.
Ten minutes later, with no sirens in sight, Watkins called 911 again saying,
"'Where are you guys it's been forever and there's a little girl inside,' and the dispatcher was like, 'There is? And I said, 'Yeah there's somebody inside, please get here soon," says Watkins.
She was still nowhere to be found when help arrived, just seconds later.
Witnesses say Elena Martinez, may have been scared by the fire and ran to hide.
"There was six firetrucks but from my driveway, you couldn't see anything. There was that much smoke," says Watkins.
And neighbors say the fire took over the trailer in a flash.
"As soon as firefighters came they just set up the truck and got the water running and tried putting it out first, and after it was all clear they tried looking for the little girl," says Deleon.
Deputies say the preliminary cause of Elena's death appears to be smoke inhalation.
Both the father and his three other children survived.
"For the rest of my life when I hear glass break, I will think of those windows popping from the heat. It's a horrible horrible thing," says Watkins.
If you would like to help, a memorial fund will be set up Monday at Arvest Bank for the Martinez family.
A toddler, loses her life in a trailer fire near Avoca in Benton County.
"My husband come in and said Kendra the neighbor's house is on fire, so I grabbed my phone and called 9-1-1," says Kendra Watkins, a next door neighbor.
While on the phone with emergency dispatch Friday night, Kendra informed them someone was inside the burning house.
"They were looking for the little girl, calling for her and stuff. It's just hard because you can't do anything but just sit there and watch it," says Watkins.
"When we got down there the whole house was engulfed," says Jerry Robinson, a neighbor.
Meanwhile other folks were trying to help
"Me and my neighbor went around the house and broke the windows to see if we could see anything and I stuck my head in the house and called her name, but I couldn't seen anything, it was all pitch black," says Deleon.
Ten minutes later, with no sirens in sight, Watkins called 911 again saying,
"'Where are you guys it's been forever and there's a little girl inside,' and the dispatcher was like, 'There is? And I said, 'Yeah there's somebody inside, please get here soon," says Watkins.
She was still nowhere to be found when help arrived, just seconds later.
Witnesses say Elena Martinez, may have been scared by the fire and ran to hide.
"There was six firetrucks but from my driveway, you couldn't see anything. There was that much smoke," says Watkins.
And neighbors say the fire took over the trailer in a flash.
"As soon as firefighters came they just set up the truck and got the water running and tried putting it out first, and after it was all clear they tried looking for the little girl," says Deleon.
Deputies say the preliminary cause of Elena's death appears to be smoke inhalation.
Both the father and his three other children survived.
"For the rest of my life when I hear glass break, I will think of those windows popping from the heat. It's a horrible horrible thing," says Watkins.
If you would like to help, a memorial fund will be set up Monday at Arvest Bank for the Martinez family.
