Teenagers Recovering After Escaping East Village Apartment Fire, Mother Still In Critical Condition
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- We're learning more about the two teenagers who escaped a deadly early morning fire in the East Village on Thursday.
CBS2's Leah Mishkin spoke to the family, who are still trying to navigate their way forward.
The video was hard to watch – two teenage siblings climbing out the window of their fourth floor apartment, to run from the flames inside. They made their way down a pole on the side of the building.
Magen Lopez went straight to the hospital when she found out what was going on. That 13-year-old boy and 18-year-old girl are her boyfriend's siblings.
"They just woke up to the wall on them. That's how they knew the fire was happening, and so after that, they just did what they could because they weren't going to make it to the door," she said.
READ MORE: Caught On Video: Teens Escape Deadly East Village Fire That Killed 1
Lopez' boyfriend, who didn't want to be on camera, told CBS2 they've been at the hospital every day to be with his two siblings, Giovanni and Marianna, and his mom who is still in critical condition.
"My sister-in-law, she's doing very well. She just has one arm very badly burned, very bad," Lopez said. "Giovanni, he has a scar on his face from the wires ... He got burned the worst besides my mother-in-law."
Lopez added, "She doesn't know what's going on. Like she's not... she opened her eyes, but she's not awake."
The family said their mom's boyfriend of 11 years is the man who died in the fire. He was the first man she loved, we were told, after their father passed away.
Saturday evening, the family lit candles in his honor.
"He was really part of the family?" Mishkin asked.
"Yeah, no, he was definitely part of the family," Lopez said.
Lopez' boyfriend says his two younger siblings shared a room and are very close. Giovanni loves basketball and was supposed to have his first game for school the day the fire happened, he says. And his sister is studying for the GED and working on the side.
READ MORE: E-Bike Batteries Caused Deadly East Village Apartment Fire, FDNY Commissioner Says
Marianna's brother says she's turning 19 years old Sunday at the hospital. They will also be celebrating Christmas at the hospital. Their brother told us all they want this year is for their mom to be OK.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family: gofund.me/5d0565ff
The FDNY says the fire was caused by lithium ion batteries from an e-bike inside the apartment.
CBS2's Leah Mishkin contributed to this report.
