“Horrific scene”: House fire kills 5 kids and adult, sheriff says
HARDIN COUNTY, Texas -- A house fire killed five children and one adult very early on Wednesday, Hardin County Sheriff Mark Davis told CBS Beaumont, Texas affiliate KFDM.
Early indications are they are a mother and five children, 3 to 11 years old, Davis said. Two were twins.
The grandparents of the children live in the main home.
The first alarm was reported at about 12:15 a.m. Wednesday, he said.
The home was engulfed in flames when firefighters and sheriff's deputies arrived and the structure was destroyed, Davis said.
"This is a horrific scene. Very somber, very sad. Your heart goes out to the family, the immediate family and the extended family," Davis observed. "It's tough on everyone, including the first responders. It tears your heart out. It's the worst type of incident for any firefighter or first responder to face. To find victims inside."
A neighbor called 911 and reported seeing flames from the structure, which is an apartment behind a main house, Davis added. He woke up the people in the main home but there was nothing they could do because the apartment was fully engulfed.
When the fire was out, firefighters found the victims.
The Hardin County Sheriff's Office and the State Fire Marshal's Office will investigate.