A eye witness to an early morning house fire in Drumbawn housing estate, Enniskillen that claimed the life of an eight-month year old baby girl, told the 'Herald' this week how the infant's mother had to be prevented from running back towards the house just before the arrival of fire crews.
The body of Chelsea Agnew was found in an upstairs bedroom. Fergal Leonard, the group Commander with the NI Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the baby's mother, Charmaine, her boyfriend and Chelsey's older brother had managed to get out of the house themselves.
"We got the call to Drumbawn at 8 minutes past 10 on Saturday morning", he explained. "En route we received a 'persons reported' call, ie that there were people still on the premises. We had also received information there was a little baby in the front bedroom on the first floor..
"Whenever we got there, fire fighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the building, extinguished the fire but, sadly, we found the little baby dead in the front bedroom of the house, upstairs".
Mr Leonard reported that the PSNI were investigating the cause of the fire. On behalf of his personnel - they manned two appliances from Enniskillen and one from Irvinestown - he extended deep sympathy to the family.
The alarm was raised by a female neighbour who wished to remain anonymous. She told the 'Herald' that her father looked out the window and saw what looked like white smoke coming out of number 50.
"I saw two men coming out of a house and they looked as if they were going in the direction of giving help but none of them entered the house. I said to Dad: they're standing there and nobody has telephoned the fire brigade.
"I just lifted the phone. I had seen Charmaine was out of the house but I saw no sign of the wee boy or her partner or her baby. I gave them the directions. There was nothing really else you could do. There seemed to be a lot of people congregating there".
The neighbour recalled seeing the little baby bring carried in her aunt's arms: "It was the first time I had really seen the child. They are very beautiful little kids and it's a sin that a twist of fate took her away'.
Charles McClintock, whose property adjoins number 50, said he was in bed when he was awakened by banging on his front door by neighbours concerned that the fire would spread to his house.
"I have a wee daughter myself", he added, "but I realised very quickly that the fire was well under way at this stage and that there were different people trying to get in by various methods, using wet towels. I realised there was nothing really further that could be done".
He confirmed that the mother and her boyfriend were at this stage sitting outside the burning building and that Chelsea's older brother, Corey (2 and half years) had been taken away to a neighbour's.
"There was a mixture of panic and pandemonium when I came out", he recalled. "I trued to get things calmed down so that people would do sensible things. Obviously, Charmaine and Willie had to be comforted.
"Willie tried to get back in but he appeared to be overcome by smoke. Charmaine was hysterical and had to be prevented running towards the house. I would say it was 5-6 minutes before the Police arrived. They attempted to get into the house but, again, not possible.
"Everybody realised that Chelsea was still inside", he went on. "It was a tough call. I had known her since the day I was born and I know the family well. It is a hard situation to be in, when a young child is possibly dead and you know that at some point somebody is going to have to tell them that".
Mr McClintock said the PSNI officers had acted very professionally in preserving the scene until the arrival of the forensic team.
"They (PSNI officers) were there for a very long time in a very difficult situation where the estimated time of arrival of forensics was being further delayed and where you had frantic parents, family members and neighbours asking why the baby could not be removed".
He explained that the PSNI allowed local people to exercise control which, he said, made it easier for communicating with the family.
"Besides being very professional", he added, "the Police were also very affected because, after all, they're family men themselves. I thought they acted very sensitively".
Through the 'Herald', Fergal Leonard, the Group Commander with the NI Fire and Rescue Service appealed to householders to have a properly fitted and properly maintained smoke alarm and, also, have a well organised escape plan. If anyone wanted advice they should ring 028 92 600 477.
Expressions of sympathy were extended to the family by local SDLP Assembly member, Tommy Gallagher.
"This is a particularly tragic weekend for the people around Enniskillen. An eight-month-old baby girl Chelsea Agnew has lost her life in a fire at her home in Drumbawn, and I want to extend my sympathies to her mother, young brother and wider family circle. This incident has also left neighbours and friends shocked and distressed.
