Retired teacher blames unattended candle for fire at her uninsured Broward home

Lauderhill Fire Rescue investigates cause of fire

LAUDERHILL, Fla. – A cat died and a beloved neighbor who is uninsured was injured on Saturday in western Broward County.

David Page said it was difficult to see Eileen D. Worst — a retired teacher he knows as the “neighborhood grandma” — in pain after the fire.

“She is willing to take care of the kids ... baking cookies ... giving us food,” Page said. “For something like this to happen to someone so sweet is really bad.”

Worst, 79, sat outside her home, where she lives with two others near Northwest 83 Avenue and 49 Street, after Lauderhill Fire Rescue responded.

“My eyes are blurry; I am just hoping I didn’t burn the corneas,” Worst said.

Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Levy said she suffered minor burns and paramedics treated her outside of her home. Two other cats survived.

Firefighters bust through the door of the garage that she used for storage. She collects ceramics.

“I have hundreds of teapots in there,” Worst said.

Levy said the cause of the fire was under investigation. Worst said her granddaughter left an “incense candle” unattended even though she had told her not to.

“Whatever happened, it fell over, whatever, and the whole thing flamed up,” Worst said.

After she paid off her home, Worst said she decided not to pay insurance. She said she doesn’t know how she will repair the damage.

Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Joyce Grace Ortega contributed to this report.


About the Authors
Cody Weddle headshot

Cody Weddle joined Local 10 News as a full-time reporter in South Florida in August of 2022. Before that, Cody worked regularly with Local 10 since January of 2017 as a foreign correspondent in Venezuela and Colombia.

Andrea Torres headshot

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.

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