A home daycare was gutted by fire, but the owner is counting her blessings that everyone got out alive. Roz's Home Daycare on DeLesseps Avenue and Costa Rica Avenue, near the Truman Parkway, caught fire while five children were still inside.
They all got out in time, but not before the owner, Rosalind Crumbley, risked her life to make sure. "I just had to check again," she said. "You know, I knew how many I had, my nerves just had to run back to make sure."
As firefighters worked to smother the flames, parents came from work, running down the road to get their children. "All I wanted to do is see if my boy was okay," said Heather Andrews.
As family members huddled together and parents realized their children were okay, firefighters began the task of looking for what caused this home daycare to burn down.
Even after all the children made it outside, owner Crumbly, ran back into the burning home. The foster parent, who runs a daycare for five children, said she couldn't bear the thought of leaving any children behind. "I just thank God, just thank God that my kids weren't in there. It didn't happen at night when we were sleeping. I just thank God that everybody's all right."
"I just hate it for Roz now that the house is gone," said Andrews.
"Even though my house is gone, but that's not important. What's important is that the kids are all right," said Crumbley.
Investigators are calling the fire an accident. They say it seems to have been started by an overheated extension cord in one of the front bedrooms.
