GENESEE — An early morning fire that ripped through a northern Pennsylvania home killed five children and severely injured two adults, authorities said.
Fire crews responding to the 3:30 a.m. Monday alarm on Slingerland Road in Genesee Township found the residence engulfed in flames, state police in Potter County said. Police said first responders discovered that “five juvenile victims were unable to get out of the residence.”
A man and woman were able to escape but both “sustained serious injuries while trying to rescue the children,” police said. They were flown to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York, where there was no immediate word about their conditions.
Police said the cause of the fire remains under investigation, but preliminary information indicates it started in the basement and isn’t considered suspicious.
The names of the victims weren’t immediately released pending notification of relatives. The (Wellsville) Daily Reporter reported that the juvenile victims were all teenagers.
Superintendent Nathan Jones of the Northern Potter School District said three of the victims were from the school district. He said in a letter to the community that counseling and bereavement support services will be available for all students and staff.
