Two Young Sisters Die In Grand Rapids, Michigan House Fire

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) -- Two young sisters died in a house fire early Thursday when they were unable to escape from a second-floor room.

Firefighters were called to the home at about 4:25 a.m. EDT, said John VanSolkema, acting chief of the Grand Rapids Fire Department. They found the first floor of the two-story home engulfed in flames.

Several attempts to rescue the girls were made by firefighters before the fire was brought under control. VanSolkema said the bodies of Chantel Lindsey, 13, and Kariel Lindsey, 6, were found near a window in an upstairs room.

The girls' mother, a man and two children escaped from the home before firefighters arrived, VanSolkema said, and the mother was treated for smoke inhalation. Names of the victims weren't immediately released.

The home had working smoke detectors, VanSolkema said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.