News

Actions

Mom who lost twins talks about fire danger

Posted at 8:38 PM, Feb 10, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-10 20:38:35-05

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue leaders are urging people to be careful trying to keep their homes warm with the dropping temperatures.

Space heaters left on overnight can cause fires.

And if anyone understands the way a fire can rip a family apart, it is Pahokee mother Susan Robertson who lost her twin daughters last year in a blaze.

“It happened so fast. I had to get out,” Robertson said.

She says she still thinks about her daughters Catherine and Cassandra everyday. They died after they weren’t able to get out of the mobile home the family was living in.

"I think about my daughters twenty four always a day and what happened. Something you can't forget. Never forget losing your children,” Robertson said.

Robertson is now hoping the public will be careful using extension cords and space heaters.

She had her air conditioned plugged into an extension cord that caught fire, she says.

"Don't ever take anything for granted. Something might happen. And I would hate for it to happen to anyone else,” Robertson said.

A spokesman with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue says people should keep a three foot area around space heaters clear. They advice people to plug them directly into the wall, and not to use extension cords. They also recommend turning the space heater off when someone is going to sleep or leaving a room.