3 children, mother critical after apartment fire, family says

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Three children and their mother are in critical condition after a two-alarm fire at the Calloway Cove apartments in Northwest Jacksonville on Tuesday night, family says.

RELATED: Jacksonville apartments damaged by massive fire have history of fire safety violations

“I’m hurt,” said Quanterria Ethridge, whose uncle is the father of two of the children, and stepfather to the other. “I just feel confused and I wish I was there next to my uncle because I know him and his wife love his children.”

Tenants said their gas services are being shut off temporarily after the fire.

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Ethridge spoke to us in a phone conversation from her location in Atlanta.

She tells Action News Jax reporter Ryan Nelson the children -- Amira, Carla Ethridge, Taj Ethridge and their mother Danielle “Nicole” Ethridge, were being treated at the UF Health burn unit in Gainesville, Florida as of her last update from loved ones.

We’re told Danielle has a total of five kids who were in the burning building. Two are now in the care of family members.

Neighbors Nelson spoke to today described chaos in the complex.

They said many neighbors tried to help rescue the children from the flames.

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A total of 12 families in 12 apartments have been displaced.

Michael Smith, who has two children and a baby on the way, says his family was one of the 12 displaced Tuesday night.

He remembered seeing Danielle Ethridge.

“The woman, the parent, she came out, she was almost completely naked, like, her clothes were burned off,” he said.

Smith says they’ve lost everything.

“I didn’t even have a shirt on,” he said. “My wife had this shirt on. I had to get another shirt from her sister.”

Cox Media Group