1 confirmed dead in St. Paul house fire that sent mother, 6 children to hospital
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The St. Paul Fire Department says one of the victims of a house fire that sent a mother and six children to the hospital has died.
Fire crews were dispatched at 1:31 a.m. Wednesday to a home on the 1200 block of Arkwright Street North. When they arrived, fire crews made entry and located seven unconscious victims inside — a mother and six children.
All seven victims were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Preliminary information has indicated the injuries were predominately from smoke inhalation, officials said.
Deputy Chief Roy Mokosso confirmed with WCCO on Thursday that a patient who was taken to Regions Hospital died of their injuries. He did not give any more information on the victim.
It's the first fire fatality in the city this year.
Video from inside the hospital shows the family providing comfort to one of the six children badly hurt in the house fire — the heartbreaking footage taken by the children's aunt and posted on social media.
Their father posted tragic updates throughout the day Thursday, first writing "I lost my oldest twin daughter." Then, he updated the page again, saying, "I just received heartbreaking news from the doctor. Two of my children won't make it in the next 24 hours. One child has a 50-50 chance to survive. The mom is also at high risk of not recovering."
"The majority of fire fatalities are due to asphyxiation, so two to three minutes without oxygen can lead to fatality or else can lead to conditions that can result in brain damage in the future," St. Paul Fire Deputy Chief Roy Mokosso said.
As the family prays for a miracle, the community is showing their support. Flowers and stuffed animals have been placed outside their home.
A GoFundMe has already raised more than $50,000.
Officials say the fire is under investigation, but it is not suspicious and appears accidental. Officials say this is the time of year when more people are using space heaters, or are smoking indoors, and as a result, there are more fires.
No injuries were reported among emergency responders.
Fire officials say another adult who resides at the house was at work when the fire occurred. They were contacted by officials.