6-year-old Girl hospitalised after escaping fire

QUICKLY dismissing her fears when she awoke yesterday to find her home on fire, 19-year-old Lydia Baptiste saved her two sisters from being burnt to death by throwing them through  a window. However her youngest sister, six-year-old Anna, suffered first degree burns to both arms and minor burns to her forehead, and is warded in a stable condition at the San Fernando General Hospital. Baptiste, who lives with her mother, Joanne Thomas was alone home with her  two youngest sisters, Anna and Makiba, 8, when the fire broke out around 2.30 pm, at their Lucky Street, La Romaine home. Investigators believe that the fire may have been started by sparks from electrical wires. Sitting at her sister’s bedside at Ward 5 yesterday a weary-looking Baptiste recalled that at first she was frightened when she awoke and saw her bedroom on fire. “But I say I not going to let my sisters die. I say if I die God will know why,” the brave teenager said. Recounting the incident to Sunday Newsday Baptiste said she was asleep when she heard the neighbour bawling: ‘fire fire’. “When I opened my eyes all around me had fire. I picked up Makiba who was sleeping next to me and I throw her out of the window. Then I run into my mother’s bedroom where Anna was sleeping and picked her up,” she said. Baptiste said her sister started crying when she woke up and saw the fire. She held her weeping sister, ran out the room and into the nearby kitchen and threw Anna out of the window. Satisfied that her sisters were safe, Baptiste then jumped out of the window, landing eight feet below.