FEBRUARY 23, 2015
LEANDER, TEXAS (KXAN)
A 7-month-old baby is dead and his parents were taken to a
San Antonio medical center following a fire in a mobile home that firefighters
say was caused by a space heater. Firefighters were called to the home on Red Hawk Drive, near FM 2243 and Bagdad Road, about 4:45
a.m. Monday.
The child’s parent, Amanda Garret, 33, and Jerob Justus, 39,
were taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio which has a specialized
burn unit.
Patrick Justus, 2, was also taken to San Antonio. The Williamson
County Sheriff’s Office did not have an update on their conditions.
Authorities believe Amanda and Jerob were injured trying to
rescue the baby, Ian, from the home. Danny Justus, a relative who lives in a
mobile home next to Amanda and Jerob, was also injured in the rescue attempt
and had to be treated for smoke inhalation at Cedar Park Medical Center.
Another child in the house, 7-year-old Eres Justus, was
treated and released from Cedar Park Medical Center.
“It was pretty bad,” neighbor Stephen Wilkes told KXAN. “The
whole house was pretty much engulfed except for this end over here where the
propane tank is. And it was just spreading real quick.”
The state fire marshal was called to the home to investigate
and verify the cause of the fire.
A GoFundMe
page has been set up to help family. The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Victim Assistance Unit
is also asking anyone who can help to drop off donations at the sheriff’s
office.
The young
and the elderly are the most frequent victims of house fires.
Unfortunately, too many fires have started in mobile homes heated by
portable space heaters since they are placed too close to combustibles.
All heaters must be placed at least 3 feet away from all combustibles (clothes, curtains, paper, cardboard boxes, etc.)