A routine morning shift turned into a living nightmare for EMT Azelyn Arenas when she responded to a house fire in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, only to discover that her own 4-year-old daughter, Veyda Pereyra, was among the five victims who perished.
“She is the light in every room, our baby, our only child, and we’ll forever miss her,” Arenas wrote of her daughter in the wake of the tragedy, which unfolded during what had been a birthday celebration.
Gregg Smith, executive director of First Aid & Safety Patrol, described the scene as an unthinkable tragedy. “I’ve never seen such a tragedy,” he told NBC affiliate WGAL. “When you take an employee, a first responder, that has to respond to their own child, words can’t describe the nightmare scenario this truly is.”
On Sunday, September 28, 73-year-old Josefina Estevez was looking after little Veyda while Arenas was on duty. By 8:43 a.m., the Lebanon Fire Department was dispatched to a structural fire at 815 Church Street. Upon arrival, firefighters found the first and second floors “fully engulfed, with flames visible from the windows,” according to a statement from the City of Lebanon. Ten people were trapped inside, several of whom were attending the birthday party.
The fire’s intensity forced responders to call for backup from neighboring agencies. Three victims were rescued and transported to a local hospital, but conditions inside the building deteriorated rapidly, compelling firefighters to fight the blaze from the exterior. They later re-entered the building to recover two additional victims.
“With deep regret, I must report that four victims have passed away, one remains in critical condition, and one is in stable condition,” the city said. “The remaining four occupants escaped with minor injuries.”
For First Aid & Safety Patrol, the fire was a day when “the unimaginable happened to one of our own,” the agency said on Facebook. Arenas was on duty, staffing an ambulance in the city, when reports of trapped people came in.
“She and her crew responded immediately,” the post said. “Upon arrival, units encountered multiple patients. Among them was Azelyn’s four-year-old daughter, Veyda.”
Despite the efforts of emergency personnel, Veyda succumbed to her injuries. The fire also claimed the lives of her caretaker, Estevez, 1-year-old Amarri Morris Rodriguez, and 17-year-old Jaeden Nunez, according to the Lebanon County Coroner’s Office. Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello confirmed the fifth victim as 23-year-old Tailing Nunez, who remains hospitalized in critical condition.
City officials said the fire originated from an electrical outlet in the living room on the first floor and was “ruled accidental in nature.” Investigations remain ongoing.
In the wake of the tragedy, Arenas established a GoFundMe to honor her “precious angel baby.” She expressed her grief in a statement on behalf of both herself and Veyda’s father.
“She lost her life in a tragic fire, and we are all completely shattered,” she wrote. “She is the light in every room, our baby, our only child, and we’ll forever miss her.”
First Aid & Safety Patrol also issued an emotional plea for community support, acknowledging both the heartbreak of the loss and the unique trauma faced by first responders.
“There are no words to capture the pain of losing a child, and no words to describe the heartbreak of being an emergency responder faced with your own child as a victim,” the organization wrote. “We grieve for this precious child, for Azelyn and her family, and for all of our EMS providers who are hurting.”
As investigators continue to examine the cause of the fire, the community has rallied around Arenas and her family, mourning the loss of life and offering support to the first responder who faced every parent’s worst fear.
