Eden Prairie house fire survivors share story of getting everyone out alive
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- It's a remarkable story of survival. Earlier this month, flames tore through a home on Lee Drive in Eden Prairie in the middle of the night.
A family with two young kids and their dog all made it out just in time. They had an emotional return to their home on Wednesday.
"This is my first time I've been here and to see it this bad...I don't know how we all got out," said Jodi Deikel, through tears, "It's just so surreal seeing the damage that was done."
The rubble was once the home of Deikel, her daughter Sade Strong, and her two granddaughters, 5-year-old Saniya and 1-month-old Skylynn.
"I almost lost my whole family. My mom...my daughters...it's really scary," said Strong.
The fire started in their garage in the middle of the night on June 2.
Both Deikel and Strong woke up to their house in flames. That's when they jumped into survival mode to save themselves and the kids.
"[I] threw my 5-year-old granddaughter out the window, threw my dog out the window and then I jumped out the window," said Deikel.
"The ceiling fell down and I instantly just grabbed [Skylynn], scooped her really tight to me, and I just ran," said Strong.
Deikel was the only one hurt. She was severely burned on her legs, which left her in the ICU for two-and-a-half weeks. Her daughter, and many of their neighbors, visited while she was hospitalized.
"I just can't believe how they all rallied together to help us and be here for us and the kids," said Deikel.
Little Skylynn is a survivor at only 1 month old. She won't remember what happened, but her mom will make sure she knows just how brave she is.
"I'm going to tell her that she's a strong baby. She has a whole story behind her first month of living," said Strong.
The blaze from this fire was so strong, it spread to one neighboring home, destroying it as well. Investigators are still trying to determine a cause.
An online fundraiser to support the family has raised more than $10,000, and much more is needed to rebuild.
