Mesa, AZ (January 25, 2026) — A devastating early morning fire left six people, including four children, hospitalized following a blaze that tore through an eight-unit apartment complex in Mesa. The incident occurred just before 2:00 a.m. Saturday near Pennington, in the area of Dobson and Baseline roads.
Mesa firefighters arrived to find the apartment building engulfed in flames. Six individuals sustained serious burn injuries. Two adults and three children were transported by ambulance to a nearby burn center, while one child was airlifted due to the severity of their injuries. All five remain intubated in the intensive care unit.
In a moment of heroism, a 6-year-old girl is credited with helping her family escape. According to her grandfather, John Peshlakai, she was the first to awaken and alert her parents as the fire spread rapidly through the apartment. While she sustained minor burns, the young girl now awaits updates as her family fights for their lives.
“They’re just a wonderful family that looks forward to living their life and enjoying their kids growing up, and then tragedy strikes,” Peshlakai shared. “We just pray that they can pull through this.”
Fire officials have not yet released information regarding the cause of the blaze. The apartment complex sustained extensive damage, and investigators are working to determine the origin of the fire.
