A pregnant mom and her 2 year-old son were tragically killed today during a small fire at their Queens home, authorities said.
Linda Anderson, 24, and her son Ayden Hayes died after a blaze broke out around 4:30 a.m. at the second-floor apartment on Anderson Road near 180th Street in Springfield Gardens.
Anderson was found dead at the scene, FDNY officials said. Her son was still alive when firefighters arrived but died shortly after on the way to Queens General Hospital.
“It was unreal,” said a woman who lives in the building’s basement and identified herself as Ms. Shaw. “You don’t think things like this can really happen in your life. You see it on TV.”
“It’s very sad to see the [Ayden’s] stroller on the lawn and know he won’t be coming back,” she added.
Shaw said Anderson was at least five months pregnant and was “excited” about having a second child.
“It was a boy, she showed me the sonogram,” Shaw said.
A heartbroken Rondel Hayes, Ayden’s dad, was at the scene staring at the burnt building.
“My son would have turned three in October,” reflected Hayes, who learned about the blaze through a text from his sister.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but cops said it does not appear to be foul play.
Firefighters said they first received a 911 call reporting the fire at 4:39 am, but the caller did not give an address. The dispatcher traced the called to a Merrick Boulevard location.
When firefighters arrived four minutes later, they didn’t find the fire but searched the area and eventually spotted it three blocks away.
They arrived at the burning building at 4:51 a.m. and had the fire under control by 5:12, fire officials said.
The extra time spent finding the building may have made a difference.
“Anytime we have early notification and a correct address as well as correct information, it increases our chance at helping people and people themselves surviving,” an FDNY spokesman said.