Family and friends hope to raise enough money to cover funeral costs for the two girls and to help replace items the other victims lost in the fire.
The benefit will be held from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. and will be a family-friendly event.
Right now the family is accepting any donations of money and clothing for 6-year-old Joe Gonzalez IV, who was able to escape the fire with minor injuries, and 21-year-old Victoria Valenzuela and her 4-month-old son Javier, who survived the fire but suffered severe burns.
Organizers are also hoping to collect several items before Sunday to be used at the benefit. They are in need of three large barbecue pits and any items that can be used in the auction.
An account will be set up for any monetary donations but until then donations can be received at Club Metro.
For more information, look for The Gonzales Family Benefit on Facebook.
(Allison Ignacio)
WACO (June 18, 2012)—Victoria Valenzuela, 21, and her 4-month old son Javier, who were injured in a house fire early Saturday in South Waco that claimed the lives of two other children and left another with minor injuries, were in Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas Monday.
The two children who died in the fire were tentatively identified Monday as Valenzeula’s nieces, 11-month-old Rayah Hernandez and 4-year-old Eliana Gonzales.
Autopsies were ordered in their deaths.
Joe Gonzales IV, 6, Valenzuela’s nephew, was taken to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center with minor injuries and was later released.
All of the children were living with Valenzuela, police said Monday.
Valenzuela was able to escape from the burning house with her infant son and nephew, but the flames were too intense for her to return for her nieces, police said Monday.
The two girls were sleeping near where the fire started, apparently from a extension cord that was plugged into an outlet, but not connected to an appliance, investigators said.
Three firefighters who were injured while battling the flames were treated for minor injuries and have returned to duty, police said.
The fire was reported at around 2:15 a.m. Saturday at 1907 Cleveland Ave.
The first crews on the scene reported that the one-story wood frame house was engulfed in flames.
The caller who reported the fire said there were people inside the house and after a few minutes of searching, firefighters found the two children who died inside a front bedroom. Waco Assistant Fire Chief D.C. Yeager said.
A distraught man, who was at the scene later in the morning, identified himself as the homeowner and said the two children who died were his grandchildren.
He said his youngest daughter was living in the home with the four children.
Firefighters made a rapid attack when they arrived, Yeager said, and had the initial blaze knocked down within about 15 minutes.
The homeowner said the house was destroyed.
A house next door suffered some heat damage, Yeager said.
Yeager said four engine companies, a truck company and a command vehicle responded to the alarm.
Fire units had cleared the scene by about 4:40 a.m.
