BETHLEHEM, Pa. --
A deadly fire roared through a Lehigh County home over the weekend, killing four children.
The fire started at about 4:30 a.m. Sunday in a rowhouse on the 1200 block of Mechanic Street in Bethlehem.
The victims include two boys, ages 11 and 13, and two girls, ages 5 and 7.
Firefighters said high winds and the collapse of a roof made it difficult to rescue the children.
On arrival, firefighters found heavy fire on the first and second floors and found the steps to the second floor had collapsed, Bethlehem Fire Commissioner George Barkanic said.
They made entry to the second floor of the home by way of ladders in an attempt to rescue the trapped children and to extinguish the fire.
The two people who escaped the fire were a child who jumped from the second floor and an adult who was asleep on the first floor of the home.
Five firefighters and one paramedic were injured at the scene of the fire near the former Bethlehem Steel plant. All of the injured responders were treated and released. The injuries included sprains, fractured bones, burns, and exhaustion, authorities said.
The fire was brought under control in about two hours, but three homes were destroyed.
"The intensity of the fire ... was too much for them to advance too far," said Lt. Joe Chernaskey of the Bethlehem Fire Department, adding that the roof collapse further hindered efforts.
"When that starts to burn, you've got a whole other situation. It's a very hard thing to fight," he said.
There's no official word on what caused the blaze. State and county fire marshals are still investigating along with local police.
The Bethlehem School District said crisis counselors were sent into three different schools to comfort teachers and students who dealt with or were friends of the youngsters who lost their lives.
The county's coroner was not ready to release names as the victims were severely burned.
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