CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Virginia, USA – Six people, including four children, have died and two people remain hospitalized after a three-alarm fire in North Chesterfield in the early hours of Friday, fire officials said.
“Unfortunately, last night at the Chesterfield fire commissioners’ office it was reported that another child had died as a result of injuries sustained in this fire,” fire officials said Saturday morning.
The four children killed were between 2 and 12 years old, according to firefighters.
Later Saturday, officials said another adult, a woman, died from her injuries.
A grandmother died at her home Friday morning, sources told Crime Insider Jon Burkett.
“This tragic incident has now resulted in six deaths, two adult women and four children,” officials said.
WTVR
Family Friend: Children were “the most beautiful souls”
Two GoFundMe pages have been launched to help families affected by the fire.
Cadence Johnson helped organize one of the pages for the mother of two of the children who died.
“To help her, to help the family that needs it,” Johnson said. “To bury the kids, to help with the bills because they’ll be out of work, we wanted to start.”
Johnson fondly remembered the children.
“They were the most beautiful souls,” he said. “They would say what went through their minds. They were just happy kids. They liked to sing, dance.”
Another online fundraiser for families has also been created.
WTVR
Burkett: 9 people were home when the fire started
A neighbor called 911 shortly after 10 a.m. to report a fire in a house on the 9900 block of Glass Road, according to Chesterfield County firefighters. The house is located in the Mayfair Estates subdivision, near the intersection of Courthouse and Hull Street.
When firefighters arrived, they were told several people were trapped inside the two-story house and entered rescue mode, Chesterfield Fire and EMS chief Loy Senter reported. Nine people were inside the house when the fire started, Burkett said.
“Firefighters immediately began searches of the first floor aided by the second and third engine companies that arrived, while an aggressive attack on the main body of fire was launched,” Senter said during a briefing on Friday. in the morning.
A second and third alarm was sounded due to the number of people trapped inside.
@CColeburnTV, WTVR
Chief of fire: several victims found on the 2nd floor
Senter said crews saw a strong fire on the first floor at the front of the house with “high heat and intense smoke conditions throughout the first and second floors.”
“Several victims were located on the second floor and were removed by firefighters using ladders at the back of the residence,” Senter said.
Witnesses said they saw firefighters performing CPR on an individual as well as pulling a boy out of the burning house.
Senter said one person died at the scene and another eight were taken to hospitals in the area. Five more people have since died, including a woman and four children.
Two other victims remained hospitalized on Saturday, officials said.
“We think we’re dealing with the combined family here,” Senter explained. “And so we try to make sure we have the right person, age and a lot more that needs to be done as part of the investigation to be able to disclose that information.”
The cause of the fire, which is believed to have started in a bedroom, is still being investigated.
Officials said they do not suspect foul play.
“Because this is an active investigation, there will be some information that is known but cannot be published at this time,” Senter said. “Our hearts go out to the families who have had such a profound impact on this tragedy.”
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email [email protected] to tip.