Neighbors’ Support Helps Fire Victims’ Relatives Bear Pain

Lew and Judy Silvers are grieving, but they say they also are grateful.

A day after the deaths of their daughter and two young grandchildren in an early morning fire Friday in Orange, the couple said they were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from their neighbors and friends. “They have just shown so much love to us, we will never forget it,” said an emotional Lew Silvers, 66.

Throughout the day Saturday, a procession of people with flowers streamed through the Silverses’ one-story house in the quiet, close-knit Hart Street neighborhood. Lew Silvers said hundreds of people had visited him since Friday.

Just a few houses down, caution tape marked the scene of the tragedy that took the lives of Shawn Silvers, 28, and her children, Lance Jugan, 6, and Brittany Jugan, 4.

The Fire Department is still investigating the cause, but foul play has been ruled out. Authorities believe a small fire started in the kitchen overnight, filling the house with smoke and suffocating the family and their pet dog.

Saturday morning, the faint smell of smoke lingering in the warm air mixed with the scent of fresh flowers laid in front of the house by neighbors. A card read: “To my friend Lance, his sister and his mommy.”

Lori, 33, and Vernon Martinez, 36, and their three children were among those who came by Shawn Silvers’ house to remember their friends.

“It hurts, it hurts really bad,” said Lori Martinez, choking back tears. “It is difficult to believe this happened. I miss those babies.”

The Martinez’s own children--Joseph, 8, Anthony, 6, and Stephanie, 5--were close to Lance and Brittany, Martinez said. The two neighbor families spent New Year’s Eve together, and the children were often at one another’s houses.

Joseph, sitting by the flowers with his head propped on his arms, looked pensive.

“I am going to miss all the games we played,” the boy said. “We always played computer games. Lance had two lizards, and they would crawl around in our shirts.”

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A teary-eyed Vernon Martinez remembered how Lance, who hadn’t seen his father much since his parents separated two years ago and were divorced last year, would often join in with his own sons and also call him “dad.”

Lori Martinez said Shawn Silvers was a dedicated single mother whose life centered on her children. “It was a happy nest,” she said.

The Silverses said their daughter, an office employee in a shelf manufacturing plant, was a hard-working mother who provided the best she could for her children. She sent them to a private school, the International Christian Montessori of Orange, and had recently completed payments on her 1992 Volkswagen Jetta.

With the divorce behind her, “she was just beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, feeling so good about things,” said Judy Silvers, 62.

She recounted the desperate moments from the day before when she burst into the smoke-filled house to try to save her daughter and grandchildren. She pulled her grandchildren’s stiff bodies from the house, but could not locate their mother.

“I couldn’t find my daughter, I just couldn’t find her,” she said, sobbing.

Shawn Silvers’ body was found curled on the floor of her bedroom. Firefighters believe she may have gotten up momentarily before collapsing sometime during the night, Judy Silvers said.

In their pain, the Silverses said they have been comforted by the emotional support of their neighbors.

“It just keeps your mind a little occupied” receiving calls and visitors, Judy Silvers said.

Saturday morning, their house was filled with flowers and their dining table was replete with food brought by friends.

“My heart just breaks for you,” said one former neighbor who came by the Silverses’ house to deliver some warm food and hugs. The woman and Judy Silvers embraced and cried.

“These things have meant so much to us,” said Lew Silvers, who has used a wheelchair since suffering a stroke in 1986.

The retired truck driver is a common link among the residents of this working-class neighborhood where the Silverses have lived for 13 years. He has often sat in his open garage, greeting passers-by and introducing them to each other.

“He is responsible for all this,” said his wife, explaining the overwhelming number of condolences.

“The whole street has been so . . . ,” said Lew Silvers, his voice trailing off. “God bless their hearts.”

Family friends have set up a memorial fund to help the family with funeral costs. Donations can be sent to: The Silvers Family Memorial, 1233 N. Tustin Ave., No. 147, Orange, CA 92867.