(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Five children were killed, and another child was hospitalized on Sunday after a fire engulfed a South Bend home, the local fire department said.
The South Bend Fire Department said first responders arrived at the home, located at the corner of North LaPorte Avenue and City Hall Court, on Sunday evening and found “intense flames” on the first and second floors.
Officials said firefighters located and carried the six children out of the home. Five were pronounced dead, and one survivor was taken to Memorial Hospital before being airlifted to a specialized pediatric burn center in Indianapolis for more treatment.
One firefighter was also injured after they fell through the second floor onto the first floor. The firefighter is expected to recover and return to work soon, according to the fire department.
WSBT in South Bend reported that one adult escaped the fire with minor injuries. The fire department made no mention of adults who were rescued from the scene.
“While this incident casts a shadow of sorrow over our community, particularly due to the loss of young lives, it is also a poignant reminder of the courage and dedication displayed by the members of the South Bend Fire Department,” fire officials said.
The South Bend Fire Department said it was extending its “deepest sympathies to the families affected by this tragedy.”
Fire officials said the department is working closely with local and Indiana authorities to investigate the cause of the fire.
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