Children safely evacuated for Irving daycare fire
IRVING, Texas - Dozens of children were safely evacuated after a daycare in Irving caught fire Wednesday morning.
The two-alarm fire at Kim’s Stepping Stone Learning Center on E. 2nd Street started around 10:30 a.m. Firefighters quickly knocked down the flames.
Fire officials said the daycare’s staff members were able to get all 44 children out of the building. They ranged in age from about 2 months to 5 years old.
"The fire was contained to the attic,” explained Irving Fire Asst. Chief J. Taylor. “The crews got on hand They ventilated the roof and kept it contained to the attic and got it out in quick fashion and mitigated that fire."
A nearby funeral home allowed the children inside to get out of the cold. They were able to remain warm until parents could pick them up.
"Staff at the learning center, they actually did an outstanding job getting the kids out in an orderly manner,” Taylor said.
Daycare owner Kim Lewis says she and her staff just did what they were trained to do.
"We saw a haze, and thank God we have the fire alarm system,” she recalled. “So it went off. And when it went off, we started moving kids out."
Parents showed up immediately after being notified.
"They just told us there was an emergency, and we needed to come get the kids,” recalled parent Shantaya Harris. “I just had to drop everything and come and get him. But I'm glad everybody is okay.”
Some children were just excited to see all the commotion and, of course, the firefighters and fire trucks.
"We've been talking to several of them out here, so we got a lot of hugs,” Taylor said. “And that makes your day go a lot better. That's the best part of it."
No one was hurt in the fire. The cause is still under investigation.