On September 28, 2025, a deadly house fire broke out at a home in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. According to authorities, the fire was ruled accidental after discovering an electrical outlet was the cause. At the time, 10 people had been celebrating a birthday party in the home. One of those attendees was Veyda Pereyra, who sadly lost her life. In a tragic twist of fate, her mother, Azelyn Arenas, was one of the first responders sent to help.
Arenas was on duty as an EMT on an ambulance with First Aid & Safety Patrol when the deadly house fire broke out, the agency shared in a statement on social media. “She and her crew responded immediately,” the statement read.
When she arrived at the fire, Arenas was shocked to discover that her 4-year-old daughter, Veyda, was one of the patients she was there to treat. According to a report from WGAL, the little girl was in the care of 73-year-old Josefina Estevez at the time. Sadly, Estevez also lost her life in the fire.
“I’ve never seen such a tragedy,” the executive director of First Aid & Safety Patrol, Gregg Smith, told the outlet. “When you take an employee, a first responder, that has to respond to their own child, words can’t describe the nightmare scenario this truly is.”
Smith, who has been a paramedic for 30 years, explained that as a first responder, you learn to “detach” from the emotional aspect of the job. “I got to be honest with you,” he said. “As a parent, there is no detachment at any time, anywhere. That’s just too much to ask of anyone.”
Arenas’ community at First Aid & Safety Patrol made it clear the agency is offering her a well of support during what is absolutely a horrible time for her and her family. “We grieve for this precious child, for Azelyn and her family, and for all of our EMS providers who are hurting,” its social media post shared.
The agency also shared a GoFundMe account created by Arenas to help with expenses. “She is the light in every room, our baby, our only child, & we’ll forever miss her,” the mom said of Veyda.
“They’re fiercely private and humble, and they don’t want charity. I want to see that blow up. I want to see hundreds of thousands of dollars for these families,” Smith told WGAL of the fundraising page.
