2 young children die in 3-alarm house fire in Trenton, NJ
A neighbor tried helping put out the house fire with a garden hose, officials said
TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) -- Two children, ages 4 and 7, died in a house fire early Wednesday morning in Trenton, New Jersey, according to fire officials.
Firefighters and investigators remained on the scene for hours as they worked to determine how the fire started. Police said the cause of the fire remains undetermined and is under investigation.
Neighbors on Hewitt Street said they were awakened around 4 a.m. by the fire and frantic calls for help.
Bernabe Herrera Torres, who lives nearby, said a woman was banging on doors and screaming for assistance.
When he came outside, he said the fire was already intense. Out of desperation, he tried to fight the flames with a garden hose.
Surveillance video from the block showed people running from the burning home.
"Crews arrived to find heavy fire throughout the original fire building. Top to bottom, front to back," Deputy Chief Kevin Rice of the Trenton Fire Department said.
Firefighters discovered the two children inside the home. Video from a neighboring property showed flames shooting from the roof as crews battled the blaze.
"The sad part is I witness the kids playing and introducing themselves to the other neighborhood kids," neighbor Kevin Marroquin said.
Several neighbors said the family was new to the block.
"My son's around the same age as the little boy that passed away. So seeing that is really hard," neighbor Brielle Barrett said.
Officials said an adult living in the home was able to escape. Two homes were damaged in the fire.
Two firefighters were injured while responding to the blaze. One was treated at the scene, while the other was taken to a hospital with burns.
Mayor Reed Gusciora emphasized the importance of having working smoke alarms and said support would be available as schools prepare to reopen.
"It's really sad when you have to notify the school system to make sure their peers are comforted," Gusciora said.
"But the city's prayers are all for the families that suffered loss in this tragedy."
Fire officials said they do not know whether the home had working smoke alarms. Ten residents from nearby homes were displaced, and the Red Cross assisted those affected.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
