Children killed in Upper Darby fire were twin 5-year-old girls, neighbors say
"My heart goes out to the family. My heart goes out to our members and their families," said Fire Chief Derrick Sawyer.
UPPER DARBY TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Two children were killed in an early morning house fire in Upper Darby, Delaware County.
Neighbors say the children are twin 5-year-old girls. They were found in their bedroom.
The fire began at about 4:03 a.m. on the 300 block of Margate Road. When crews arrived, they encountered heavy fire on the second floor of the home.
Fire Chief Derrick Sawyer said firefighters did everything they could.
"They made a real valiant effort to try to get to these children to no avail," Sawyer said.
The girls' mother was able to jump out a back window.
Reginald Spotwood heard the screams of young children from the second story of his neighbor's house. He saw their mother lying on the ground outside, calling out for help.
"I heard screaming, so that was my initial reaction as a father - to jump in and save the kids," said Spotwood.
As Spotwood made his way from the basement of the burning home up the steps, he was stopped in his tracks.
"I couldn't. It was too much smoke going on. Too much, too much," he said.
Firefighters say the mother was taken to an area hospital where she was being treated for her injuries.
"Right now the mother is in surgery, we're not even sure if she knows about her children yet," said Chief Sawyer.
Two firefighters were also injured. They have been treated and released from the hospital.
"My heart goes out to the family," Sawyer said. "My heart goes out to our members and their families."
The community is shaken by this tragedy.
"They just had a barbeque a couple days ago, this weekend, and they were out there with their family, so it's really sad to see," said neighbor Kyle Miller.
"I'm so sorry for her loss. She lost two babies and she is in the hospital," said Nasima Ullah.
Sawyer said it is important to make sure your home has working smoke alarms. He also urged everyone to have a fire escape plan and to close bedroom doors when sleeping.
There was no immediate word on what started the fire. Fire investigators do not believe it was suspicious.
Chief Sawyer returned to the block to hand out smoke alarms to neighbors. He also stressed the importance of 'close before you doze.'
Closing a bedroom door can buy valuable time in a fire and keep it from spreading.
