Arizona: Phoenix Condo Fire Kills Father, 4 Children
A father and his four kids died during a Phoenix condo fire in Arizona Wednesday night, according to the authorities.
Shimone Boyer, 52, was declared dead at the scene. The four young victims were all in serious condition when rushed to the hospital. Dov Boyer, 7, and his brother Nachman Boyer, 8, died at the hospital.
Meanwhile, the deaths of Tamar Boyer, 11, and Shevach Boyer, 9, were confirmed by the Phoenix Fire Department on Saturday night.
No one knows what sparked the fire yet, but investigators say they saw no signs of arson, ABC News said.
Furthermore, there were no smoke detectors in the apartment, according to the fire department.
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The Phoenix Condo Fire
The Phoenix Fire Department was summoned to a house on the corner of 35th and Northern avenues at around 11 p.m. on Wednesday. They arrived to find smoke and flames shooting from the windows of a condo.
Firefighters said there are no signs that the fire was started deliberately, but they are still investigating.
When Steve Boyer, Shimone's brother and the children's uncle, learned the news, he went to the Valley to be with his family.
He described his brother as a committed father and Rabbi in an interview.
They have spent the last six years caring for four kids under 12.
"If I was there, could I have done something?" questioned Boyer. "Could have smelled it, maybe?"
A friend of the family, Dawn Harris, claims she heard of Shimone's death through Jewish communities.
"I was shocked. I didn't want to believe it," she said.
Although Harris is a resident of another state, she met Shimone six years ago, and they have been talking about their children every other week since then.
"We connected because I have children with disabilities. And I noticed that his kids had disabilities. And so I was able to help him obtain different connections to resources he needed," Harris told ABC15.
Harris noted that the two motivated one another to improve and that Shimone worked hard to provide for his children.
Phoenix Jewish Community Mourns Arizona Father and His Kids' Death
The Head of School at Phoenix Hebrew Academy, Rabbi Baruch Harris, gave a poignant speech on how Tamar was a free spirit and recently drew Purim images for her classmates.
Rabbi Ahron Green, a Mashgiach at Phoenix's Yeshivas Haturim, remarked on Shimon's holy spirit and described how he never missed a day of prayer or Torah study.
Meanwhile, Greater Phoenix Vaad Hakashrus Rabbi Yisroel Isaacs emphasized Shimon's assistance with the Vaad's kashrus and the tragedy's ripple effect on the entire community.
Steve also talked about how devoted and loving his sibling was as a father, noting how often Shimon drove his kids to and from school, how well he fed them, and how often he set up extracurricular activities.
Hundreds of members of Phoenix's Jewish community came together for the levayah.
"People of all walks of life were here," Mrs. Robin Meyerson told Hamodia.
"From every shul, all the schools, the high school, the yeshiva, the day school, the caregivers, tutors, friends, and the office workers from the schools. We have never seen such a tragedy, and the entire community is shocked. The sight of five hearses lined up was overwhelming. The outpouring from the community was a kiddush Hashem," she added.
The levaya, or Jewish funeral for the Arizona father and his kids who died at the Phoenix condo fire, was held Sunday afternoon at Beth Israel Cemetery in Phoenix.
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Written by: Bert Hoover
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