ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s now been just more than a month since a fire at a fireworks storage warehouse left four workers dead. A fifth employee of the fireworks company Magic in the Sky, who survived the fire, remains in critical condition.

What You Need To Know

  • A Dec. 1 fire at Magic in the Sky in Orange County led to the deaths of four workers

  • A fifth worker, Lindsey Tallafuss, survived the fire but remains in critical condition more than a month later

  • ATF agents say the business had a federal permit to store fireworks, but Orange County leaders say the company did not have a county permit 

  • Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe says a county permit is necessary so first responders have a heads up to what they would need to respond to, and for more frequent inspections

Jason Tallafuss says his sister Lindsey is still in the intensive care unit at Orlando Regional Medical Center, and has recently developed pneumonia.

“It’s a horrific, horrific tragedy, but I feel like every day it’s a miracle to see her fight,” he said.

Tallafuss says his little sister was working a job she loved at Magic in the Sky, when something ignited a huge fire on Dec. 1. Lindsey received burns on more than 60% of her body.

Her family says she has endured several surgeries and infections, and remains in the ICU, heavily sedated with a machine helping her breath. She can’t speak, but Tallafuss said he visits her often.

“I tell her how proud I am of her, I tell her how great she is doing," he said. "I tell her that everybody’s here and that we’re going to support her. And I tell her that I love her."

Several agencies at the local, state and federal level are looking into what started the fire, but haven’t released any new updates since the holidays. 

When Spectrum News reached out to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives, agency officials said Magic in the Sky did have a permit to store fireworks.

But in the weeks after the fire, Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe said the business did not have a county permit, something she says would have let firefighters know the seriousness of what they were responding to. Orange County Fire Rescue officials said they had to take more risks than usual after the fire due to exploding fireworks within the facility.

Meanwhile, Tallafuss says his family is focused right now on Lindsey’s recovery.

And he says he’s thankful for all the support the family is getting.

“They leave messages, they call, they reach out, they friend us on Facebook, and it’s really great to have that kind of support, because it’s what gets us up every day and it’s what keeps us positive,” he said.

Tallafuss said it’s his sister’s strength in her hospital bed that’s keeping the family going.

“It’s definitely difficult to get up every day and to do everything normally," he said. "But she’s fighting a lot harder than I am, so I just think of her and how hard she’s fighting–and it really does give me strength."

Tallafuss said he’s attended the funeral for one of the four other workers who were killed in the fire, and plans to attend another memorial service later in January.