Funeral Held For Toddler Killed In Baltimore Fire
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Saying goodbye. Family and friends gather to lay to rest a toddler killed in a fast-moving fire.
Gigi Barnett reports the city has seen an increase in fire deaths in the last two years.
St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Northwest Baltimore is where family and friends of two-year-old Nasir Smith gathered to say farewell.
"We're going to get through this. We're going to get through this like everybody gets through everything: with God on our side. We're going to keep praying, and we are a strong family," said relative David Lee.
The toddler died earlier this month in a fast-moving fire in Reservoir Hill. Workers from a nearby construction crew rushed in to help.
Nasir, two other little boys and the children's father were inside when the blaze began. All neighbors could do was watch in shock as flames and smoke poured from the building.
"I have kids of my own. I have a one-year-old, a three-year-old," said neighbor Anthony Rowlette. "It's heartbreaking."
A three year drop in fires across the city decreased the number of fire victims back in 2012. But in the last two years, firefighters have seen an uptick in fires that kill.
For Nasir's mother, family and friends say it's their support she needs most.
"We're trusting God to bring her through," said relative Pat Robinson.
The toddler's death is the city's first fire death of 2015. The cause of the blaze is still a mystery.
A three-year-old was also injured in the fire.