Five Children Killed in Pittsburgh Row House Blaze

June 12, 2007
Firefighters said there may have been up to 12 children in house at the time of the fire.

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PITTSBURGH --

Five children between the ages of 2 and 7 died in a fire in Pittsburgh's Larimer neighborhood early Tuesday morning.

Flames were shooting from all three floors of a home in the 6400 block of Winslow Street when firefighters arrived at about 1:20 a.m., according to Pittsburgh Fire Bureau Chief Michael Huss.

Firefighters entered on the second floor and found two children dead, then discovered three more dead bodies elsewhere on the same floor, the chief said.

Two 8-year-old survivors were transported to the burn unit at West Penn Hospital. The names and conditions of those victims have not been released yet.

Pittsburgh police are looking for a 17-year-old girl who is believed to have been baby-sitting the children. She has not been accounted for, and police would like to hear from her.

Police would not provide the 17-year-old's name nor disclose the nature of her relationship with the children.

Ravenstahl received the news of the fire at 2 a.m. and went to the scene, saying he wanted to support the family of the children as well as the members of the fire, police and EMS bureaus.

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