The vicious Bronx fire that killed a 7-year-old girl and critically injured her 3-year-old sister was the result of a tragic chain of events stemming from a stove's faulty electrical cord, officials said yesterday.
Hailey Martinez, 3, is still in critical condition after a fire broke out early Sunday morning in their family's fourth-floor apartment on Grant Ave. Her half-sister, Hazel Martinez, was killed in the blaze, which arson investigators initially regarded as suspicious when they found a five-gallon gas can in the apartment. But the can was apparently left over from Hurricane Sandy, and officials say the real culprit was a pinched cord attached to a stove the family had just bought. The stove was installed near the girls' bedroom, and authorities believe sparks from the appliance made contact with the gas can and ignited.
The girls' mother, Ruth Scheker, was also injured in the blaze, sustaining minor burns and suffering from smoke inhalation. Scheker is an NYPD officer with Harlem's 26th Precinct; she was released from Lincoln Hospital yesterday. "She didn't want to eat anything," neighbor Marci Garcia, who visited Sheker at the hospital, told DNAinfo. "She still smelled like smoke."
According to the city's website, electrical fires are one of the major causes of residential death, and are often sparked by faulty appliance cords or overloaded plugs. The city suggests residents "inspect appliances regularly to make sure they operate properly. If an appliance begins to operate with a different smell, or makes unusual sounds or the cord feels warm to touch, pull the plug and discontinue use."
