Brandon Gonzales: 13-year-old autistic boy accidentally takes his own life after setting family's Christmas tree on fire

WINSTON - SALEM, NC: Brandon Gonzales, a 13-year-old boy with autism, tragically lost his life after accidentally setting his family’s Christmas tree on fire.

The incident has left his mother, Brenda Contreras Juarez, aged 30 of Winston Salem in a state of profound grief and sorrow.

At the time of the unfortunate incident, which occurred at 6:30 pm, a caregiver was in charge of supervising the autistic teenager and a five-year-old girl, as reported by myfox8.

Who was Brandon Gonzales?

According to family members, Brandon, the eldest among his siblings somehow obtained a lighter and ignited the family Christmas tree, rapidly spreading fire throughout the house.

He was merely 13 years old, having died just a few weeks after his birthday, per MyFox8.

While the caregiver and the little girl could evade the disaster, Brandon was unfortunately trapped in the flames. Despite the caregiver's attempts to rescue him, he succumbed to the fire.

The caregiver, in her brave attempt to save Brandon’s life, sustained minor injuries and is currently recuperating in the hospital.

The fire led to the family losing all of their belongings. Yet, the most heart-wrenching tragedy was the loss of the 13-year-old boy.

The family is relieved to learn that the caregiver, who is currently in the hospital, is expected to recover. She was the one who made a valiant attempt to save Brandon from the fire.

Brenda is navigating through this difficult time one day at a time. However, she wishes for people to remember her son, Brandon, as a child brimming with life.

"He always made me happy with his smile. He was my world," the grieving mother said.

Three days of agony for the mother

"It's been three days of tortures … I miss him so much, and I am dying of sadness," Brandon Gonzales' mother added.

"We lost all the material things … The most difficult thing is that we can't recover what hurts us the most," Brenda's aunt Noelia Juarez stated. 

The residence on Fanning Pointe Lane, where Brenda and her three children resided, was completely ravaged by the fire.

In response to the tragedy, family members have established a GoFundMe page to gather funds for the funeral expenses. So far, they have managed to raise $5,255.

"On behalf of Family Contreras Juarez, we are making this page to whomever would like to kindly donate in memory of Brandon Gonzalez, since he lost his life in a house fire," Noelia stated on the page.

"They lost everything, their home, and 13-year-old Brandon's life. We ask for your help for what you can for funeral costs and to build a new home."

What did neighbors encounter?

The disaster was witnessed by the family’s neighbors, who reported that the caregiver, a grandmother, and her grandchild were the ones who managed to escape the fire.

"It makes me very very sad. I instantly started praying when I came out here. I was just praying for comfort," said Neighbor Latonya Park, per WLTX. 

"[I was] just thinking when the mom pulled up to see her house on fire, knowing that her child was in there. It's just a sad, sad situation."

"I heard fire trucks coming, and I wanted to go check outside to see what happened. The first thing I saw was the house on fire; it was really bad," Neighbor Jazmin Verde added.

What did the Winston-Salem Fire Department say?

Such incidents are indeed heart-wrenching, underscoring the importance of adhering to fire safety measures.

The Winston-Salem Fire Department advises that if you have a real tree, it is crucial to keep all sources of fire at a safe distance.

Additionally, if a space heater is in use, ensure it has sufficient space around it to prevent the initiation of fires.