Woman Killed as Fire Sweeps Clothing Shop

When 45-year-old My-Hue Gager knew she was trapped in her burning National City shop, she called 911 and then her ex-husband for help.

“She was screaming into the phone that she couldn’t get out,” said Ruth Gager, the 20-year-old daughter of the woman, who died late Wednesday. “She was hysterical.”

By the time firefighters and family members arrived at the scene, flames were blocking the only two exits at the front of the clothing shop, M H Clothing Contractor in the 2400 block of Southport Way, trapping Gager inside, National City Fire Marshal Patti Pittman said.

When firefighters were finally able to reach Gager, they found her unconscious at the rear of the shop’s workroom.

She was pronounced dead at UC San Diego Medical Center shortly before midnight Wednesday, about an hour after she called 911.

Gager’s daughter said Thursday that her mother owned the company, which contracted to make clothes for such companies as Gloria Vanderbilt. Her mother was at the shop late Wednesday night putting in the button holes on a batch of shirts, she said.

“She was doing that so today when the employees came in they could do other things,” said Ruth Gager, who had been planning to leave Thursday night to start another school year at Utah State University.

Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the blaze, but had determined it was not started accidentally or by electrical failure, Pittman said.

A back exit and a sprinkler system were not required for the building, Pittman said.

The fire, which caused about $45,000 in damage, took 30 firefighters about 15 minutes to contain.