In that time span, everything they owned burned to the ground and was gone forever as an apartment building was gutted by fire.
Wanda Peckford says she was nodding off when she heard a loud noise.
Believing it may have been a glass off the counter and thinking of her infant grandson, she proceeded to investigate.
“I was trying to finish a chapter in my book,” said Peckford. “When I opened up the bedroom door, I could see the crackling and orange glow, I see ... fires all down the hall and in the kitchen.”
Instinctively Peckford ran to the living room for a blanket to quell the flames.
She says as soon as she got there, her thoughts turned to her daughter and grandson in the room down the hall.
“I had to grab a big painting off the wall and put it over my head,” said Peckford. “Stuff was falling down all around, so I ran back down and woke her up.”
They made their escape through the window.
First Peckford climbed through, then her grandson was placed into her waiting arms.
Daughter Jasime and Peckford’s boyfriend Tim Langdon were next through.
With only one tenant remaining in the structure, Peckford went back into the flames.
“She is our guardian angel,” said neighbor Rose Layden. “We could hear banging on the door and Wanda singing out 'Rose. Darren. Fire.' By the time we got from our bedroom to our hallway, it was nothing but black smoke.”
While Rose and her husband Darren managed to escape, no possessions belonging to either family could be saved.
Layden describes herself as lucky. Not only because Peckford came back into the “inferno” to warn them, but because she has insurance that will allow her to start rebuilding.
Peckford and family did not.
So for now mother, boyfriend, daughter and grandson will stay in Tim’s brother’s apartment.
The task of starting over will not be an easy one. Peckford had heart surgery less than two months ago to install a pacemaker.
Tim, employed as a maintenance worker at the building where they lived, has not only lost his job, but all of his tools in the blaze as well.
“We don’t have a blanket, don’t have a teddy bear even, it’s heartbreaking,” said Peckford. “But we’re together.”
In that time span, everything they owned burned to the ground and was gone forever as an apartment building was gutted by fire.
Wanda Peckford says she was nodding off when she heard a loud noise.
Believing it may have been a glass off the counter and thinking of her infant grandson, she proceeded to investigate.
“I was trying to finish a chapter in my book,” said Peckford. “When I opened up the bedroom door, I could see the crackling and orange glow, I see ... fires all down the hall and in the kitchen.”
Instinctively Peckford ran to the living room for a blanket to quell the flames.
She says as soon as she got there, her thoughts turned to her daughter and grandson in the room down the hall.
“I had to grab a big painting off the wall and put it over my head,” said Peckford. “Stuff was falling down all around, so I ran back down and woke her up.”
They made their escape through the window.
First Peckford climbed through, then her grandson was placed into her waiting arms.
Daughter Jasime and Peckford’s boyfriend Tim Langdon were next through.
With only one tenant remaining in the structure, Peckford went back into the flames.
“She is our guardian angel,” said neighbor Rose Layden. “We could hear banging on the door and Wanda singing out 'Rose. Darren. Fire.' By the time we got from our bedroom to our hallway, it was nothing but black smoke.”
While Rose and her husband Darren managed to escape, no possessions belonging to either family could be saved.
Layden describes herself as lucky. Not only because Peckford came back into the “inferno” to warn them, but because she has insurance that will allow her to start rebuilding.
Peckford and family did not.
So for now mother, boyfriend, daughter and grandson will stay in Tim’s brother’s apartment.
The task of starting over will not be an easy one. Peckford had heart surgery less than two months ago to install a pacemaker.
Tim, employed as a maintenance worker at the building where they lived, has not only lost his job, but all of his tools in the blaze as well.
“We don’t have a blanket, don’t have a teddy bear even, it’s heartbreaking,” said Peckford. “But we’re together.”
