Memorial For 8-Year-Old Child Killed In Somerville House Fire, Public Welcome

SOMERVILLE, NJ — A public memorial service will be held to honor the life of 8-year-old Cecelia 'Cece' Faith Brizuela, who tragically died in a house fire in Somerville.

The service will be held Wednesday, Dec. 22 from noon to 4 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 132 West High St., Somerville. The church will be open to the public. Attendees are asked to bring a mask and temperature checks will be done.

Purple ribbons are also encouraged, as this was Cece's favorite color.

The fire broke out at 2:10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 10 at a single-family home on the 130 block of Eastern Avenue in Somerville. Read More: 8-Year-Old Dead, Sister Critical After Somerville House Fire

"Rebecca, Anthony, and Juliana (9) escaped by breaking a second-story window and jumping," according to the GoFundMe.

When police got to the house, two adults, a 41-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man, along with a 9-year-old girl were outside of the home, which was fully involved with fire, said Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson.

The three residents all had injuries as a result of the fire and escape.

Authorities were told that a second child was still trapped inside of the home on the second floor within a rear bedroom. Officers made every attempt to gain entry into the home, but were unsuccessful due to the fire, extreme heat and heavy smoke conditions, said Robertson.

The Assistant Fire Chief from Somerville Fire also tried to get inside but was unable to due to heavy fire, said Robertson.

Somerville Engine 3 and Somerville Truck 1 arrived first and immediately attacked the fire from the back of the home. That's when Somerville Fire Fighters along with the Assistant Somerville Fire Chief pushed through the fire where they were able to get to the second floor to try and rescue the child.

Firefighters found the trapped 8-year-old girl who was unresponsive. They took her out of the burning house but the 8-year-old child was pronounced dead at the scene, said Robertson.

The woman (the children's mother), man and nine-year-old girl were all taken to an area hospital for the burns and cuts they received while escaping the fire through their second-floor bedroom windows.

All have since been released from the hospital.

Since the fire, the community has rallied behind the family raising more than $265,000 through a GoFundMe website.

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