First responders to donate $10,000 to St. Paul house fire victims
St. Paul Fire Department responders announced Saturday their commitment to donate $10,000 to a family left reeling after a fatal house fire earlier this month.
According to father Pa Cheng Vang, four children — 5-year-old twins Siv Ntshiab and Ntshiab Si, 4-year-old Mauj Tshaj Ntuj and 1-1/2-year-old Muaj Cag Txuj — died after sustaining injuries from a fire at their home on St. Paul’s East Side, where they had been asleep in the early morning. Two other children and their mother, Ker Lor, were also hospitalized and remain in critical condition.
St. Paul officials held a press conference Saturday to share updates on the incident and recount their painful memories of the rescue. Firefighters described navigating heavy smoke to recover child after child from different rooms.
“They were shaken and they were adamant that we have to do something,” said Mike Smith, president of the St. Paul fire fighters union, IAFF Local 121.
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A total of 63 firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene.
It's uncommon for St. Paul to have multiple deaths from one fire. Deputy Chief and Chief Fire Investigator Roy Mokosso said there are an average two to three fire-related deaths a year in the city.
Mokosso suspects an unattended candle started a fire in the living room. He said it was a not a large fire event, but a lack of escape routes likely contributed to the severity of injuries.
Officials are working on prevention education, following a plea by Vang last week.
“I hope that everyone can start practice [fire drills] so that I never see any news on TV or social media that your family has the same condition as my family,” Vang had said, holding back tears.
The Vang family is Hmong, and the fire prevention education will be geared toward the Hmong community, officials said.
Many first responders joined a packed vigil at the American Indian Magnet School later in the afternoon, where classmates to the Vang children lit candles for blessings alongside school staff, politicians, Hmong clan leaders and others impacted by the heavy news.
“I saw videos of Pa Cheng holding his children as they were taking their last breath and I just cried,” said Sen. Susan Pha, DFL-Brooklyn Park. “I couldn’t stop crying and I don’t think I’ve stopped crying this last week as many of us in this community have.”
Family member Susan Vang shared that mother Ker Lor and 6-year-old Cag Kub are still unconscious, but the remaining daughter, 3-year-old Hnub Qub, is awake.
A GoFundMe campaign to help support the family has raised more than $475,000 as of Saturday afternoon.