Toledo, Ohio Mother Attempted to Save Seven Children Killed in Blaze, But the Smoke Overwhelmed Her
After trying to get upstairs to where her children and a cousin were trapped, Melinda Ragland ran to a neighbor's apartment for help, her mother, Ora Ragland, said Monday.
Investigators would not say whether they think Melinda Ragland was at home when the fire started Sunday. Ora Ragland insisted that this was not a ``home alone'' case.
``My daughter really loved those children,'' she said. ``Nobody can deny that.''
The children, ages 6 months to 7 years, died from smoke inhalation, the Lucas County coroner ruled Monday.
It will be at least two days before investigators can determine the cause of the fire, which started in a rear bedroom on the second floor, said Deputy Fire Chief Robert Metzger. Tests were planned to see if electric baseboard heaters contributed to the fire.
The victims were five sisters - Tanija Sanders, 7 months; Talia Sanders, 1; Terri Sanders, 6; Brionna McCullough 2; and Teairia McCullough, 7; their brother, Brian McCullough, 5; and a girl cousin, Quanisha Kirk, 7, family members said.
Family and friends said the children loved singing and going bowling or to the movies together.
They were always outside playing tag, hide-and-seek or ``any game their imagination would give them,'' said their uncle, Kevin McGowan.
At least three people in the neighborhood came to the scene to help but were unable to get to the youngsters.
``The thing that's hurting me was I had to hear those kids screaming,'' said Anthony Osley, who was visiting nearby. ``It just hurts that I couldn't do anything.''
Friends and strangers placed teddy bears, balloons and candles in a memorial Monday outside the house, where Halloween decorations still hung in the window.
Denise Sanders, grandmother of three of the children, said she had visited them about an hour before the fire.
``They were the sweetest kids,'' she said. ``They all ambushed me yelling, `Granna!'''
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