A 27-year-old father and his four young children were killed in a Pennsylvania house fire, and his fiance and two other children narrowly escaped death Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Officials said five members of a family, including a newborn, died in the raging flames shortly after midnight in Janet. The victims were Tyler King, 27, Kyson John, 7, Kinsley John, 6, Keegan John, 3, and 1-month-old infant Corbin John. Identified. WTAE reported.
“They’re just good people. It’s a shame, that family will never be the same again,” said neighbor Jacques Malle. he told KDKA.
The mother, Miranda, was left on the back roof with her baby in her arms during the fire, and Mull and firefighters helped her climb a ladder and lower it, police said. One of the woman’s sons, who had broken her leg, also survived.
The two surviving children were ages 1 and 10. NBC News reported.
The mother tried to save more children, but the fire was overwhelming.
“My mother tried again, but she got burned,” Maru told KDKA. “So it was her children who were there. They are very good parents and they love their children.”
Fire Chief Bill Frye said firefighters were having trouble putting out the fire because of water supply issues.
“The first hydrant we hit gave us some water, but it wasn’t enough to get us out of the hill at the scene. So at one point we ran out of water in the tank.” Frye told WTAE. “By that point the fire had become quite serious and we had to withdraw our crews.”
The fire spread to a neighboring house, but the residents were able to evacuate safely.
Both homes were reportedly destroyed.
“This is a devastating loss for our family,” said Delena Lewis, Tyler King’s mother. he told WTAE.
“Not just me, but his fiancée and the other two surviving children. They’re left without a father. How do you explain that to them?”
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
