Nine people, including six children, died Monday morning in a South Memphis house blaze that fire officials called the city’s deadliest fire in nearly a century.
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Fire officials said 10 people were in the home in the 1100 block of Severson Avenue, off Walker Avenue, when crews arrived at 1:22 a.m.
Cook said the first firefighters who arrived at the scene about 1:30 a.m. saw smoking coming out of the one-story home where a family of 10 lived.
Three children were taken to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in “extremely critical condition”.
CBS Memphis affiliate WREG reports that the family is saying the toll includes seven children and four adults.
Memphis Fire Director Gina Sweat says 9 people are dead after an early morning house fire.
The identities of the dead have not been released. “We sincerely pray for this family and for the loved ones of this family”.
“Our whole city is in mourning for the loss”, Mayor Jim Strickland told reporters.
Officials say the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction in an air conditioning unit’s power cord in the living room. MFD said most of the fatalities were caused by smoke inhalation. Investigators determined that the house did have a working smoke alarm, the fire department said. “We have security bars on our windows and I can’t imagine trying to get out of them”.
The fire official also said it wasn’t immediately clear if those inside had tried to escape through the windows. However, the home did have bars on the windows that prevented the family from escaping.
“I’ve never seen firemen cry, but they were bawling like babies when they brought the children out”, said Shoundra Hampton, whose family lives next door.
Sweat went to the site and spoke with firefighters. “It just hurt my heart”, she said.
Frederick Terrell said he knew the family well and is stunned. “Those kids were so loving, man”. A red motorized children’s toy truck and a red bicycle with no wheels sat outside of the home.
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Whitmore said her sister had lived in the house with friends for the last few years. “If you needed anything, you could come right here”.
