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Published on 01/04/1999 All articles from this issue

Woman mourns son lost in Christmas fire

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

Darlene Field already had mixed feelings about the holidays because this was her first Christmas without her husband, Bill, who died last February.

"I just wanted a quiet day," said the 55-year-old Los Altos woman.

Instead she received the phone call that is every parent's worst nightmare. Her stepson, Todd Hirsch, died trying to save his family in an early morning fire on Christmas day in Santa Clara.

He was found just two feet from his 9-year-old son, Gregory, who also died in the fire, Field said.

His daughter Amanda, 7, died of smoke inhalation on the way to the hospital.

Four days later, 10-year-old Kaylianne died after suffering irreversible brain damage.

Son Trevor, 3, and Todd's wife Debbie survived.

"I'm just sitting here going 'Why?'" Field said, choking with emotion.

"Debbie woke up and smelled smoke," Field said. "Todd got her out, then went back in - and never came out."

After an extensive investigation, the cause of the fire has been ruled accidental, said Santa Clara fire marshal Martin Von Raesfeld. There are three possible causes, he said. They include: warm fireplace ashes left next to the building; an electrical fault in the laundry room; a breach of the fireplace chimney.

When firefighters responded to the fire, "all the staff were rescuing occupants," Von Raesfeld said, "which allowed the evidence to burn." With the intensity of the fire, there simply was nothing left.

"Debbie lost everything," Field said. "They have no home. No car. No savings. Todd was a hard-working, 34-year-old man who bought a home and always had a smile on his face," Field said.

Hirsch worked as a house painter.

Field married George Hirsch, Todd's father, when Todd was 8. When they divorced in 1979, "I kept the kids and raised Todd," Field said.

Field's boys, Mark and Robert Gallardo, and Todd grew up as brothers.

"Most of my childhood was spent with Todd," said Robert Gallardo, also 34.

As kids, Todd "always looked out for you," Robert said. "He'd stick up for you." Gallardo remembered Boy Scout outings as children and family barbecues as adults.

"Todd's favorite thing to do was barbecue," Robert said. "He was a wonderful father." He coached Little League and football and took his son dirt-bike racing.

"He made sure everyone was taken care of," Robert said.

Now Field wants to help take care of Debbie and Trevor. She has opened a trust fund at Washington Mutual Bank, formerly Great Western, in Los Altos, "for Trevor's education," she said.

Contributions to the fund may be sent to the Hirsch Family Trust, account No. 1792517973, c/o Katarene Tsih, manager, Washington Mutual Bank, 199 First St., Los Altos 94022.

The Santa Clara firefighters have also established the Hirsch Family Trust Fund. Contributions may be sent to the Hirsch Family Trust Fund, c/o Mission City Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 466, Santa Clara 95052.

Donations of household items or clothes may be dropped off at the fire station at 777 Benton St., Santa Clara.