DEVASTATING

Four Children and a Litter of Puppies Die in Connecticut House Fire

“This is an unprecedented tragedy in this town,” First Selectman Tim Keeney said.

Four children and a litter of puppies died after a fire engulfed a duplex in Somers, Connecticut on Tuesday night, officials said.

One child was declared dead at the scene, three others at a local hospital, Somers Fire Department Chief John Roache said during a press conference on Wednesday. They were 5, 6, 8 and 12 years old.

“This is a small community, so everybody knows everybody else,” Roache said. “It definitely hurts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to this family.”

A 19-year-old escaped after jumping from a second-floor window, according to First Selectman Tim Keeney.

“This is an unprecedented tragedy in this town,” Keeney said. “This is a town where people know their neighbors and people know these kids.”

Neighbors tried and failed to combat the blaze with fire extinguishers, “but the volume of fire was just too great at that time,” Roache said.

A GoFundMe organized by family members has raised over $39,000.

“In this emergency, we urgently seek your support through donations to assist with funeral costs for the children, as well as providing aid for the surviving family members to replace essential belongings and secure a temporary place to live,” a cousin named Jessica Marie wrote.

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