Fort Worth

‘My Heart Stopped,' Mother of Young Boys Injured in House Fire Says

The mother of two young boys badly injured in a Fort Worth house fire Monday says the experience is heartbreakingly surreal.

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The mother of two young boys badly injured in a Fort Worth house fire Monday says the experience is heartbreakingly surreal.

“My heart stopped for a minute honestly, I lost breath,” Alexis Strain said

Strain said she was running errands when the fire broke out inside the family’s apartment on S. Jennings Avenue Monday afternoon.

Robin Belantine, 1, and William Lambert, 4, had to be rescued by firefighters after their father, 32-year-old Tim Belantine, escaped through the bathroom window with the help of neighbors. Officials said all three remained in critical condition Tuesday

“I talked to their daddy (Tim Belantine) and he said he was in the bedroom when he said all of sudden something fell over in the kitchen and caught fire,” Strain said.

According to Fort Worth Fire Department investigators, the cause of the fire was undetermined but the apartment did not appear to have working smoke detectors.

Strain said both boys suffered only minor burns but have severe cases of smoke inhalation that has damaged especially 1-year-old Robin’s lungs.

“Robin is not able to breathe on his own,” Strain said.

If you would like to help the family with related expenses, they have set up a GoFundMe account.

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