2 Children Killed In 3-Alarm Trenton House Fire

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — A 4-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl died Wednesday when a three-alarm fire ripped through a home in Trenton's South Ward, according to officials.

The fire also displaced around 14 people.

The fire broke out around 4 a.m. at a home on the 300 block of Hewitt Street, according to 6ABC and NBC10. Trenton Councilwoman Jenna L. Figueroa Kettenburg and fire identified the address as 367 Hewitt Street, saying the fire spread to 369 Hewitt Street and caused severe smoke hazards at 373 Hewitt Street.

Firefighters arriving on scene found heavy fire coming from the three-story home, according to 6abc. Trenton Fire Department Deputy Chief Kevin Rice told NBC10 that crews located the two children during a search of the burning structure. They were taken to a nearby hospital, where they died from their injuries, Rice said.

An adult who was inside the home at the time escaped without injury.

"The adult, from what I was told, escaped the house unscathed," Rice told 6ABC.

A neighbor attempted to help fight the fire with a garden hose after learning children were inside, Rice said.

Two firefighters were injured in the response. One was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and released, while the other suffered burns to the back of his legs and was taken to the hospital for treatment, according to NBC10.

Fire officials believe the blaze started on the first floor in the living room and spread quickly through the home. It was not immediately known whether the home had working smoke detectors. Officials said the house was destroyed and two neighboring homes were damaged.

Local and state fire marshals responded to the scene, and the American Red Cross is assisting displaced residents, Kettenburg said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

"Please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers and pray for the two innocent children who have lost their lives," Kettenburg said in a statement.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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