A Bronx fire killed an elderly woman and seriously injured her disabled son yesterday despite a valiant rescue attempt by quick-thinking neighbors.
Paula Aglira, 84, died after the 8 a.m. Pelham Bay fire that seriously injured her son Michael, 45.It was caused by faulty wiring in the refrigerator, officials said
A neighbor said that when he and others kicked in the front door, they realized “the fire was too overwhelming.”
Nearly 60 firefighters extinguished the blaze about 30 minutes later.
Aglira’s anguished daughter, Patricia Pepe, 43, rushed over from her job when she got the news.
“I love my mother so much,” Pepe said. “She was so nice. And I love my brother. I live very close by and I check up on them everyday after work. I make sure they have clothes and food and everything they need. It’s tough. And this will be very hard to tell my 9-year-old daughter.”