Veyda Pereyra Death News – A devastating house fire in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, claimed the lives of five people on Sunday morning, including a 4-year-old girl whose mother, an emergency responder, was among those dispatched to the scene. Emergency crews were called shortly before 9 a.m. to a residence where a birthday gathering was underway. First Aid & Safety Patrol ambulance units were among the first to arrive. Tragically, one of their EMTs, Azelyn Arenas, was met with the unthinkable: her daughter, 4-year-old Veyda Pereyra, was one of the victims.
Gregg Smith, executive director of First Aid & Safety Patrol, described the incident as almost beyond comprehension. “This is horrible. This is our worst nightmare,” he said, emphasizing the unimaginable difficulty of an emergency worker arriving at a scene only to discover their own child had died. “Words can’t describe the nightmare scenario this truly is.”
At the time of the fire, Veyda was being cared for by her grandmother, 73-year-old Josefina Estevez, who also perished in the blaze. The home was filled with loved ones gathered for a birthday celebration, with ten people inside when the fire broke out. Along with Veyda and Estevez, authorities confirmed the other victims as 1-year-old Amarri Morris Rodriguez, 17-year-old Jaeden Nunez, and 23-year-old Tailing Nunez.
In addition to the fatalities, two people remain hospitalized, including one in critical condition.
As news of the tragedy spread, community support began to pour in. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to assist Veyda’s family in the aftermath, quickly raising close to $50,000. In a heartfelt statement on the fundraising page, the family described the little girl as their greatest joy: “She is the light in every room, our baby, our only child, and we’ll forever miss her.”
Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello announced that Steve Thompson, owner of Thompson Funeral Home, had generously offered to cover funeral expenses, easing at least one burden for the grieving families. Capello also confirmed the cause of the fire. Investigators determined that the blaze originated from an electrical outlet in the living room on the first floor, and it has officially been ruled accidental.
Gregg Smith called for even greater community outreach, emphasizing how much support the families would need to recover from such devastating loss. “They’re fiercely private and humble, and they don’t want charity,” Smith noted. “But I want to see this blow up. I want to see hundreds of thousands of dollars raised for these families.”
The tragedy has left Lebanon County in shock, especially because of the unique and heartbreaking circumstances surrounding the response. Emergency responders are often trained to detach from personal emotion in moments of crisis, but in this case, the line between professional duty and personal heartbreak was erased in the most painful way imaginable.
Neighbors and residents have described the fire as one of the worst in recent memory. For many, the loss of such young lives, including a toddler and a teenager, magnified the devastation. For Arenas, losing her only child while arriving to help others represents a nightmare scenario few could endure.
As the investigation concludes and families begin to make arrangements, the focus has shifted to collective mourning and support. The GoFundMe continues to receive donations from both local residents and people outside the community who were moved by the story. Vigils are being planned, and neighbors have been leaving flowers, stuffed animals, and candles near the burned-out home as a tribute to the victims.
For Lebanon County, the tragedy serves as a painful reminder of how fragile life can be. For Arenas, it is an unbearable personal loss intertwined with her professional duty. And for the community, it is a call to rally together in compassion and solidarity for those who must now face a future marked by unimaginable grief.
