NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A 6-year-old girl was killed Monday evening after she became trapped in a bedroom as a raging fire overtook the second floor of a Staten Island home, police said.
The FDNY responded around 5:30 p.m. to the fire at the home at 110 Brookside Ave. in West Brighton.
Christmas lights were blinking outside as firefighters arrived at the house, where smoke and flames were seen pouring from a second-story bedroom.
The girl was trapped inside the bedroom as family members, including kids, were hysterical on the lawn below, according to neighbors.
"It happened really quick," said witness Paul Michielli. "By the time I got to the end of the block, I saw really dark smoke billowing out of one of the windows, and the firefighters were already breaking the windows and trying to enter the premises."
Firefighters carried the unconscious little girl down a ladder and rushed her in critical condition to Richmond University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. She hasn't yet been identified.
Neighbors said at least seven people—four adults and three kids—resided in the home, where three generations of the same family have lived for decades. The girl's grandmother had just passed away six weeks ago around Thanksgiving.
The tragedy has left tight-knit neighbors like Gianna Michielli in disbelief. "Everyone knows everyone," she said.
"Oh my God," she said of the girl's death. "It's so sad."
About 60 members of the FDNY responded to the scene. The fire was brought under control an hour later, around 6:30 p.m.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of Tuesday.