At least two children died and others were hurt when a fire ripped through a 3-story Staten Island home Friday morning.
No adults were home when flames began shooting out the sides of the home on Van Duzer Street at 10 a.m. Friday morning, PIX 11 News reported. (RELATED: ‘Absolutely Unacceptable’: Massive Fire At Landfill Still Burning After Nearly A Month)
Two young children were killed and two more suffered life-threatening injuries in a Staten Island house fire Friday morning, officials said. There were no adults in the home at the time of the fire. Fire marshals are working to determine the cause of the deadly blaze. pic.twitter.com/owfo2B3XQz
— PIX11 News (@PIX11News) December 23, 2022
“Upon arrival there was heavy fire and reports of children trapped on the second floor,” FDNY Laura Kavanagh said. Firefighters went to work to rescue the children ranging from ages 5 to 14.
“The entire second floor was engulfed in flames, so much so that the fire was coming down the stairs which is very rare,” FDNY Chief John Hodgens stated, according to PIX 11.
The firefighters found all of the children unconscious, PIX 11 reported. A 5-year-old girl died in the house, another 6-year-old died at the hospital, and two are in critical condition.
Xavier Vanable, the oldest child in the family, was working at the time of the fire. “They always played around,” Vanable told PIX11 of his deceased siblings. “They loved school. I really wanted them to be the best they could be. We have a big dinner. We have presents in the basement. I don’t know if they’re still there.”
The cause of the fire remains unclear.