A woman and two children died in an overnight house fire in North Philadelphia, officials said on Tuesday morning.
Officials explained that the fire broke out around 1 a.m. at a home on the 3400 block of North Hope Street.
The fast moving blaze sparked in the kitchen and then tore through the family’s home.
After crews entered the property and conducted a search and rescue operation, officials said they found three people – a 46-year-old woman, later identified as Nidre Annette Ayala, 6-year-old Kataleya Garcia and her 5-year-old brother Sebastian Rodriguez-DeJesus.
Ayala was found unresponsive on the stairs leading to the second floor and the two children were found unresponsive in an upstairs bedroom with severe burns, officials said.
All three were taken to nearby hospitals where, officials said, they were pronounced dead.
A neighbor, who didn’t want to be identified, told NBC10 that the kids’ mother rushed to the home dressed in scrubs.
“Mom was out working last night, and she actually arrived on the scene screaming and yelling ‘Where’s my kids.’ So that was heartbreaking,” the neighbor shared.
The fire was brought under control by about 1:21 a.m., officials said.
The uncle of the two children told NBC10 off camera that the family is heartbroken and the kids were both innocent and full of life.
“She was a kind hearted person. It’s tragic,” Raymond Lawson, who said he was a friend of Ayala, said. “I’m sure she was heading towards the kids to try and save them.”
Carmen Caballero lives behind Ayala’s home and said that she could see the flames shooting through the windows.
“I started calling 911 and I started running and knocking on the door,” Caballero said.
Cell phone video obtained by NBC10 showed officers going door to door and warning neighbors of the fire.
Philadelphia Fire Department Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson urged residents to ensure they have working fire alarms in their homes.
“We have not located any working smoke alarms and there were no reports of a smoke alert sounding,” he said.
Fire officials reported that there was no initial indication of arson, but the investigation is ongoing with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.