7-year-old girl, 4-year-old boy die in New Jersey house fire; at least 2 firefighters injured
'It's really sad when you have to notify the school system'
TRENTON, N.J. -- Two children have died after a house fire in Trenton, New Jersey. At least two firefighters were also injured in the blaze.
The call came in just before 4 a.m. on Wednesday for a fire, with people reportedly trapped inside.
When crews arrived, they saw heavy fire coming from a three-story house.
Officials say the victims are a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy.
There was also an adult who was at the home at the time, who was able to get out of the house, officials added.
"The adult, from what I was told, escaped the house unscathed," Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Rice said.
One firefighter was transported for burns to the back of his legs and another was treated for respiratory issues at the scene.
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A neighbor tired to help battle the fire with a garden hose, knowing there were children inside, Rice said.
Bernabe Herrera Torres says he awoke to a woman banging on doors screaming for help. When he came outside, he says the fire was raging.
Firefighters said they believe the fire started on the first floor, in the living room, which quickly spread throughout the home.
"It's really sad when you have to notify the school system to make sure that they're their peers are comforted," Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said. "But I can't stress the importance of having smoke detectors working and testing them, at least yearly, and making sure that they're all working. I don't know what could have been prevented. That's still under investigation. But the city's prayers are all for the families that suffered loss in this tragedy."
It is unknown if there were working smoke detectors at the time of the fire.
Officials say the entire house is destroyed and two other homes were damaged.
Local and state fire marshals are at the scene, and the American Red Cross is helping those displaced.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
