Vigil Brings Community Together To Mourn Worcester Fire Victims
WORCESTER (CBS) -- A vigil took place in Worcester Sunday night to mourn the three lives lost in a fire there on Friday. Dozens stood in the cold chanting "Adams strong!" to show support for the Adams family.
Flames destroyed a triple-decker on Jacques Avenue. Woodrow Adams Jr. said he lost his father, his grandmother, and his uncle in the blaze.
Eighty-five-year-old Edna Williams and her 61-year-old son, Gerald "Jerry" Prince didn't make it out alive, officials said. Woodrow Adams Sr., 71, died at a hospital on Saturday after suffering injuries from jumping out of a window to escape the fire.
Adam Sr.'s wife, Lorraine Adams, suffered from smoke inhalation. "I was looking forward to spending fifty years with my husband. I know he's looking down on me," she said.
The Adams family has been in the same neighborhood for nearly five decades.
"Our family grew up here, in this community. They've owned this property for over 40 years. Childhood memories. This is tragic but I promise you, the faith of God, with the strength of the community, with everyone who is supporting us and standing by us through this tough time, we will make it through this," said Woodrow Adams Jr..
People left behind candles, flowers, and balloons on the front steps of the home as they comforted one another.
Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty described this as an unimaginable loss for the neighborhood and for the city. "They've been a staple in this neighborhood for almost fifty years. They were committed to one another, committed as a family," he said.
Instead of mourning, the Adams family is trying to stay strong – if only to carry on the family legacy.
"You, the city of Worcester, you came out and supported us," said Adams Jr. "we appreciate that."
As of Sunday night, a GoFundMe page for the family has raised $96,000 for the family.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.