DECATUR, Ga. — In Decatur at sunset Friday, people gathered, in their collective grief, for five members of one family who were killed when their house caught fire early Tuesday morning.
The family's loved ones stood outside the burned house and prayed for the lost, and, in their grief, prayed for one another.
Survivors said they’re finding strength now by being together.
“We’re still processing it,” said Damaria Brinkley--the sister of one of those killed--who was able to escape. “I mean, it still feels unreal.”
Damaria's sister, Terryona Regular, died in the fire along with Terryona’s two daughters, six-year-old Aliyah and three-year-old Angel. Terryona’s uncles, Timothy Regular and Pedro Coney, also died in the fire.
DeKalb County fire investigators have not yet said if they've found out the cause.
Terryona’s aunt, Diane Regular, was injured, and is still in the hospital.
“Please pray for my mama, pray for my mother, please,” Diane’s daughter, Nekita Lay, pleaded through her tears, speaking to everyone as the vigil began.
Those in attendance surrounded Nekita, and Terryona’s father, Terry Pugh, and Terryona's mother Octavia Regular-Cooper, not letting go of them as Terry prayed aloud.
“Father God, we have lost five, Father God, in a day,” Terry said in his prayer. "We got one in the hospital, and now Father God, we ask that you bless her."
Terry began to cry as he prayed. "I love my baby, I love her, she’s my first born.”
After the prayer service, Damaria and her mother, Octavia, spoke with 11Alive, their arms around each other, about finding strength, despite their deep grief. “We’re just together, since it’s just us, now,” Damaria said.
They said repeatedly how grateful they and everyone else in the family are for the support they are receiving from their relatives, and their friends, and people they've never met who heard about the fire.
Damaria and her boyfriend were able to get out of the burning house with their two young daughters, and were able to go back in and rescue Diane, but they said the fire was spreading so fast it was impossible to get to the others.
Damaria is pregnant with their third child, due in early February, and is thankful she did not have a miscarriage in those horrific hours during and after the fire.
Both Damaria and Octavia said they know they must look forward, and said they want to see their family’s future, now, with hope.
“All I see is love,” Octavia said, hugging Demaria, “that’s all, that’s it. Love.”
In the driveway in front of the burned house, relatives lit five candles and placed them in the center of a heart-shaped frame of smaller candles.
Then they lit another candle, and another, and another, and more, one by one--placing them next to the five, for all those who lost a part of themselves.
Bonner Ziglor, Terryona’s cousin, said he is grieving but not bitter.
“When I see everybody around, I see love, I see prayers, I see thoughtful people, I see blessings,” he said. “I don’t think anybody around here could do this alone. Without each other, we wouldn’t be able to get through a tough time like this.”
Family and friends released balloons into the gray, sunset sky. Octavia wept and hugged those around her. Her family, she said--torn apart, Tuesday morning--is closer together than ever.
The family is raising money online to help with the expenses for the funeral. They have not yet announced funeral arrangements.