Overview
- A fire broke out at a St. Paul duplex on Saturday and one daughter escaped by kicking out an air-conditioning unit and climbing to safety while the mother went back inside when she realized a toddler remained.
- Responding firefighters found 38-year-old Bonnie Pierce unresponsive and shielding the toddler with her body and emergency crews performed CPR before she was taken to a hospital.
- Pierce died from her injuries on Monday and the toddler she protected remains hospitalized and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the family’s GoFundMe.
- The family’s fundraiser says Pierce suffered burns to about 48% of her body and was without oxygen for roughly 15 minutes before treatment, details that underlie the severity of her injuries.
- Saint Paul Fire and Saint Paul Police continue to investigate the origin of the blaze while the community has raised money through a GoFundMe to cover medical bills and immediate expenses.