A 5-year-old boy died from his injuries in a fire at a Key West apartment that killed both his parents and one of his three siblings, officials said.
Sadrac Decimy died Saturday at HCA Kendall, where he and his two other siblings, 13 and 14 years old, were taken following Thursday’s blaze. The other two siblings are in stable condition at HCA Kendall as of Wednesday, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
The fire happened on Thursday at an apartment building with at least eight units at 1010 Emma Street in Key West’s Bahama Village. Parents Jean Decimy, 41, Evelyn Pierre, 38, and 7-year-old Dave Decimy, were killed in the fire.
South Florida news agencies reported that smoke detectors had alerted the family to the flames, but they struggled to escape. A 15-year-old girl who was in the area at the time of the fire with her brother and uncle told reporters how she helped one of the children escape from a window.
The Miami Herald reported that its sources said an investigation revealed the likely cause was a space heater, but no official cause has been released. The state fire marshal is investigating the fire.
As friends and family grieve this immense loss to the community, good Samaritans have banded together to start a GoFundMe page online to raise money for funeral expenses and the future care of the family’s surviving children.
Leesfield & Partners in Key West
Leesfield & Partners has offices in Miami, Orlando and Key West. The firm’s Key West office is located on historic Whitehead Street, about a three-minute drive from the apartment complex where the devastating blaze was started.
In 48 years practicing personal injury law in Florida, the firm has handled numerous record settlements and verdicts for injured clients which has allowed Ira Leesfield, the Founder and Managing Partner, to invest directly back into the community. In Key West, Mr. Leesfield has remained a steady supporter of high school athletics, contributing to girls’ softball and creating a college scholarship for basketball players in honor of the school’s late coach, Dexter Butler. In addition to scholarships and athletic programs contributions, Mr. Leesfield also gives to local food banks and works closely with Monroe County charities that provide essential services to community members.
The firm’s strong ties in Key West and the Florida Keys date back to three years before it was established when Mr. Leesfield tried his first case in Monroe County in 1973. In the 1980s, the firm was honored by the Florida Bar Association for its efforts to renovate and conserve the history of its office on Whitehead Street, a building that is over 100 years old.
Previous Cases
In nearly 50 years of litigation throughout Florida, Leesfield & Partners has handled numerous instances of explosions, fires and carbon monoxide incidents that have irreparably damaged our clients and loved ones. One devastating case involves a newlywed couple who were horrifically burned in an explosion caused by an improperly capped pipe. Both were severely burned in the incident and the wife later died from her injuries.
Another case involved a gas grill that exploded after a knob was negligently left on, allowing the gas to build up. When our client went to use it next, an explosion ensued. The client in that case was tragically burned, resulting in a multi-million-dollar recovery.
The firm previously handled the case of a 13-year-old girl who was tragically killed in a fire that started in her family’s home from a faulty TV set. Her father was badly burned in the incident while trying to save his daughter.
A $2.95 million award was secured for the family in that case.
Another agonizing case involved the deaths of a mother and two young children who were trapped in a fire at their home due to faulty windows. The family’s landlord had previously been notified about the issue with the windows but failed to do anything about it. The cause of the fire in that case was a defective electrical outlet.
The firm secured a substantial award for clients badly burned in a cargo boat explosion. The incident happened when an on-board spark from a portable gas pump ignited the cargo.
Carbon Monoxide Cases
Leesfield & Partners has decades of experience in carbon monoxide litigation, making it among the country’s leading carbon monoxide injury firms. Mr. Leesfield was even among those championing to establish laws that would provide carbon monoxide protections in Florida after a case at a Key West hotel in which numerous guests were exposed to the lethal gas. The carbon monoxide leaked into the guests’ rooms due to a damaged roof vent.
The firm recovered $11 million for a woman exposed to carbon monoxide while at a resort.
A confidential amount was secured on behalf of a college student who was exposed to carbon monoxide while staying in a house owned by the university. The cause of the leak in that case was revealed to be an exhaust pipe from the house’s furnace.