The official says the house is an old construction with several hidden spaces, which allowed the fire to spread quickly
A large fire broke out at a two-family home in Connecticut, killing at least four children and injuring two others on Tuesday, according to firefighters who saw the residence completely engulfed by the fire.
Also among the injured was an adult who was supervising the children at the Quality Avenue home. The four deceased belonged to the same family, authorities said.
Two of the three people rescued suffered minor injuries and one of them suffered serious burns, according to local authorities.
Authorities noted that people living on the other side of the house quickly emerged unharmed.
Authorities said when the fire started, pets were also inside. Three of the dogs were rescued while the puppies succumbed to their injuries.
“It’s a tremendous loss for the city,” said First Selectman Tim Keeney Keeney, adding that “[firefighters] “I had difficulty entering the house because the doors had things in front of them.”
According to officials, eight people resided on one side of the home.
Somers Fire Chief John Roache said, “Firefighters, when they entered, quickly found two children. One died at the scene and the other died at Johnson Memorial Hospital.”
The superintendent of the schools where the dead children were at said they will be given support as they grieve the loss.
Superintendent Sam Galloway of Somers Public Schools said in a statement: “Our Somers Public Schools community is grappling with this tragic event and our counseling staff will provide support to students throughout the week as needed. “Our staff, students and families will support each other as we navigate this tragedy.”
“Incredible loss. A tragedy the city hasn’t seen in forever that I know of,” Keeney said, adding, “I’ve lived here my whole life.”
Roache said: “One firefighter suffered burns while fighting the fire and was discharged after being treated.”
“The whole front of the house was very involved. The first floor reaches the second floor. Limited access. It’s very difficult to get in there. The crews did an extraordinary job trying to get there and perform some rescues. They made several grabs and pulled the victims out,” Roache said.
Roache said the home is an older construction with several hidden spaces, which allowed the fire to spread quickly, and it took considerable effort to get the fire under control around 12:56 a.m.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident and ruled out any criminal activity that caused the fire.
