Amazing real life: Bride who walked through fire
Angel Fiorini, 33, stared at the flames and knew there was only one thing she could do to get her children out alive...
When my partner Aaron and I moved into our new home in July 2016 we were so excited. The bungalow needed a lot of work, but it was on an acre of land with plenty of room for our children, Gianna, then seven, Vinnie, three, and Rosalie, one, to play.
There was no kitchen, so we’d have to cook over a camping fire, but we made it our home with great plans of all the things we were going to do to it.
Only, three months later our lives changed inconceivably...
Worst nightmare
It was 28 October 2016 and our day began as normal. Aaron, then 33, was getting ready for work as a handyman and, with the little ones in their pram, I was about to walk Gianna to the school bus. ‘I’ll see you later,’ Aaron said. ‘I’ll let you know what time I’ll be back.’ He was going out after work so would be home later than usual.
I stayed at home looking after Vinnie and Rosalie, and when Gianna was back from school we had dinner before settling down to watch a film.
While the renovations were being carried out, we were all sharing one room. So after the film, I tucked the children into bed. It was now 10pm and I thought I’d get an early night, too. I got into bed and switched off the light. But just over an hour later, I woke up in a panic, struggling to breathe.
I could hear a loud crackling, like there was a bonfire close by. Confused, I opened the door to the hall to see what was happening. I was hit by a wave of heat as I stared in horror at our hallway, engulfed in flames.
I was in too much shock to think about how or why our house was on fire. Even though it was a bungalow, the windows were too high to get out. There was no way I could carry all three of the children, so I grabbed the youngest, Vinnie and Rosalie. ‘I’ll come back for Gianna,’ I thought. Burying the little ones’ faces in my chest, I darted forwards. The flames roared around us and, although the door was only 25ft away, it seemed to take forever.
I managed to get outside and get Vinnie and Rosalie safely on to the lawn, but as I turned back for Gianna, I saw thick smoke billowing out of the house. The fire was spreading fast.
I knew if I went back in I’d probably die, but I couldn’t think about that. I needed to save my daughter.
I took a few gulps of air before running back in. I shut the door behind me because I was terrified of the younger children following me.
As soon as I was in the hallway I dropped to the floor. I knew that was the safest way to get through smoke. My eyes were stinging, but I crawled along, feeling my way to the bedroom.
Just at that moment I heard a faint mumbling, ‘Mama...’ I followed the
noise into the room and, finally, I managed to get hold of Gianna. She was by the bed and I dragged her down to the ground with me. The heat was intense and the smoke so thick, I was desperate to protect her.
I crawled into the hall, hugging Gianna close to me. It was so difficult to breathe but I did my best to reassure her. ‘You’re going to be OK,’ I said. Molten plastic was dripping from the ceiling on to my back. With each drip I felt my skin burning. It was excruciating.
We reached the door, but as I went to grab the metal doorknob, I pulled
my hand back in agony – the skin on my palm had melted away.
The next thing I remember is waking up on the side of the road. As I opened my eyes I could see the kids – all three of them – crying out in fear, and our bungalow burning to the ground.
Gianna was next to me but, like me, she was in a lot of pain, the skin on our arms hanging off in shreds. I tried to comfort her, as my neighbour looked after Rosalie and a man I didn’t recognise talked to me.
‘I’ve called an ambulance and the fire service,’ the man told me. ‘Is there anyone else inside?’ I shook my head and asked him to call Aaron – I was in too much shock to say anything else.
My burns were so severe that when the paramedics arrived I had to be sedated. When I woke up 30 hours later, I was in Seattle – 300 miles away from our home in Newman Lake. My mum was by my side and my arms were suspended in nets hanging from the ceiling.
‘Your back and neck have been badly burned,’ a doctor explained. ‘And you’ve got damage to your airways, too.’ But I couldn’t process what he was saying.
‘Where are Aaron and the kids?’ I asked. Mum explained Aaron had been with the younger children. Thankfully, they were out of danger but Vinnie had burns on his knee, tummy and back and had suffered smoke inhalation like Rosalie. Gianna had burns on her arms and face but was going to be OK, too.
Aaron was with me within hours. ‘Thank goodness you’re alive,’ he said, rushing into the room and trying to hold back tears. ‘You saved the kids – you’re my hero.’
He told me that the man I saw at the scene was called Matt and had been driving past our house when he saw the fire. He was a nurse and ex-fireman and had got both Gianna and me out of the house.
As the days passed, although I had lung damage, my ventilator was removed and I managed to walk across the corridor to see Gianna. Her face was bandaged up and her eyes were swollen shut. It was heartbreaking, but she was alive.
Strong together
I needed skin graft surgery on my back and arms. I knew it would be a long road to recovery, but in December 2016, I was allowed to leave hospital – two weeks after Gianna. Everything we owned had been destroyed, but Aaron’s sister put us up and the local community donated clothes and toys. It was the first time I’d seen my youngest two children since the fire. At first, Rosalie didn’t recognise me with my bandages and scars, but soon she reached up to me. I wept as I held my three children – it was a miracle we were all still alive.
In January 2017, Aaron proposed and the following month we moved into a mobile home donated to us by a local family. Our wedding was in July this year. It felt such a milestone. I wore a long, backless dress, proud to show my scars – they’re a reminder of what we went through and how strong we are as a family.
Investigations are ongoing to find the cause of the fire and Gianna still suffers flashbacks. But otherwise, we’re all recovering well. Everything we owned was taken away from us that night. But I have my family and they’re my life. My scars are proof of that.