“She's our little savior right here. She definitely woke us up at the right appropriate time,” said Kristina Stewart, 22 years old.
Stewart heard popping sounds and told her boyfriend to check it out.
“I go into the other room and I rush in real quick and just catch a face full of black chemical smoke. Everything in that room was just burning,” said Brian Digger, the baby’s father.
He yelled and woke up the other five people sleeping inside, including three children and his girlfriend's parents. Brian grabbed a few things for the baby but it was too late to save much else.
Thursday afternoon they see the damage inside for the first time. Kristina is hunting for baby pictures and manages to find a few in the rubble. The fire department is calling the home a total loss. It likely started with electrical wiring in a wall.
“They had been smelling some electrical smell, something slightly burning for the last couple of days,” said Battalion Chief Casey Clark of the Fresno Fire Department.
With most of their possessions gone, the family is counting their blessings that everyone is safe.
“You gain and lose many things in life but as long as you got your family and friends around you, you'll always be rich,” said Patrick Leamy, who was renting the home.
The smoke detector was not working. If you need help getting a smoke detector in your home, the Fresno Fire Department can install one for free. If you live in an apartment tell your manager you need a smoke alarm. If you live in a home you can call
The family is receiving some assistance from the Red Cross, but if you’d like to help the children call
The most urgent needs are diapers, blankets, toys and clothes for an infant baby girl and toddlers, ages two and four.