Fire in Connecticut kills four children in two-family home

A large fire tore through 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 in flames.

Among the injured was an adult who was supervising the children at the Quality Avenue home. The four dead belonged to the same family, officials said.

Two of the three rescued suffered minor injuries and one suffered serious burns, according to local authorities.

Officials noted that the people living on the other side of the home quickly got out unharmed.

Authorities said there were pets inside when the fire started. Three of the dogs were rescued while the puppies succumbed to their injuries.

“It’s a huge loss for the town,” said First Selectman Tim Keeney Keeney, adding that “[firefighters] they had difficulty getting into the house because the doors had things in front of them.”

According to officials, eight people lived on one side of the home.

Somers Fire Chief John Roache said: “Firefighters when they got inside they quickly found two children. One died at the scene and the other at Johnson Memorial Hospital.”

The head of the schools where the dead children were attending said support would be provided as they mourned the loss.

Somers Public Schools Superintendent Sam Galloway said in a statement: “The Somers Public Schools community is dealing with this tragic event and our counseling staff will provide support to students throughout the week as needed. Staff, students and Our families will support each other as we navigate this tragedy.”

“Unbelievable loss. A tragedy that the city hasn’t seen in forever and that I’m aware of,” Keeney said, adding “I’ve lived here my whole life.”

Roache said: “One firefighter suffered burns while fighting the fire and was released after being treated.”

“The whole front of the house was very connected. The first floor is right up to the second floor. Limited access. Very hard to get in there. The crews did a great job trying to get in there and do some rescues. They made several grabs and took out victims,” Roache said.

Roache said the home is of older construction with several hidden spaces, which allowed the fire to spread quickly, and it took a significant effort to bring the fire under control around 12:56 a.m.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident and have ruled out the possibility of criminal activity that caused the fire.