Woman jumps out of window to escape fire

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Family and friends of a woman critically injured in a house fire, are hoping her tragedy can keep other families safe.

The woman is now in a coma after the fire along Cardinal Drive in Woodstock.

Teresa Forbes says she's alive because of her injured sister, Melinda.

"That's my sister,” Forbes said. “She's an angel."

On the morning of Dec. 16, Crabtree alerted her sister and two other family members that the upstairs bathroom in their Woodstock home was on fire.

Forbes escaped by jumping out a window.

Her brother and nephew made it out too, but Crabtree suffered burns on half her body and is still comatose.

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"First time I got to go up there because I've been on bed rest and all that but I mean it was hard, it was really hard seeing her like that," Forbes said.

To make matters worse, the fire killed four of Crabtree's rescue dogs.

Crabtree could be in a coma for months and the medical bills are mounting.

Crabtree's employer, Southeast Frozen Foods, has started a GoFundMe page to help.

The family is grateful for any help and wants to get the word out to protect others.

Firefighters believe a faulty bathroom fan may have caused the fire.
 
For now, Crabtree's family is trying to stay strong, praying for her recovery.

"We're just ready to get her well and get her back home with us we miss her," Forbes said.

Cox Media Group