SOMERS, Conn. (WWLP) – Four children died in a house fire in Somers, Connecticut Tuesday night.
The fire was in a home on Quality Avenue around 10:30 p.m. The captain of the Somers Fire Department said that 11 people were inside the two-family home when the fire started.
According to First Selectman Tim Keeney, four children from the same family, ages 5, 6, 8, and 12, died as a result of the fire. An older sibling, who jumped out of the 2nd-floor window, was home with the kids at the time of the fire.
VIDEO: Officials provide update
“The damage to the house was very significant so for investigators to sift through that rubble, to sift through all that damage to find the exact origin and cause of the fire is going to take some time,” CT State Police Trooper First Class Pedro Muniz said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators say the fire is not believed to be the result of any criminal act.
“Absolutely heartbreaking. Our prayers go out to the victims, to their loved ones, to the fire personnel, and to everyone in Somers. This is such a tragedy, and as a state, we grieve collectively,” Sen. John A. Kissel said.
MAP: Quality Ave in Somers, Connecticut
Principals of local schools have been notified and will be offering different resources to those who are affected. The Red Cross is assisting five people who are left without a home from this fire. The State Fire Marshal will be investigating the fire, the cause of the fire has not yet been released.
Twelve surrounding departments assisted in putting the fire out, which wasn’t controlled until well after midnight. In addition to the children, a litter of puppies were unable to be saved from the home.
