LOWELL, MASS. (WHDH) - A young mother says she was forced to drop her 2-year-old daughter from the second floor and into the arms of a police officer below as ferocious flames tore through their Lowell home early Wednesday morning.
The fire broke out at multi-unit apartment building on Westford Street around 3:30 a.m., collapsing the roof of the house onto a car below as flames spread to two adjacent structures.
As the fire rapidly intensified, Julie Collentro was forced to make a life-or-death decision as she scrambled to shield her daughter, Kehlani, from the raging blaze.
“I just had to keep telling myself, ‘This is how she is going to survive,'” Julie explained. “I just let her go and the moment I saw the officer grab her…Yeah, the building was still on fire and I was still inside, but she was OK.”
After the officer ensured Kehlani was safe, he instructed Collentro to jump to avoid getting trapped by the fire.
“I could feel the heat coming into the bedroom and I was like, ‘You know what, I’m just going to jump,'” Julie said. “I jumped and thankfully he caught me too.”
A 77-year-old man perished in the fire, while two women and Collentro’s stepfather were flown to Boston hospitals with serious injuries.
“By the grace of God my family all made it out safe,” said Kelly Collentro, Julie’s mother. “My husband is still in the hospital.”
Kelly was rescued by firefighters with a ladder.
“It was like living in a horror movie that I keep replaying over and over again,” Kelley said. “I can’t get it out of my head.”
While Julie is saddened by the loss of life, she is forever grateful to the firefighters and police officers who responded to the scene.
“It’s definitely hard but my family is alive,” Julie said.
The home will ultimately have to be torn down.
A gofundme page has been established to assist Julie and her family.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)