Flames shooting from the roof, as firefighters race to save a family of elderly people -- only to end up needing help themselves.
It started Monday afternoon in a home in Eastchester. Inside were six elderly brothers and sisters all in their 70's and 80's. Several firefighters were injured in the rescue.
You don't hear about this too often. Those elderly brothers and sisters lived together inside the home, for decades -- since the 1930s in fact.
Firefighters were able to rescue them all, but there are multiple injuries.
First Witness: "The firefighters were carrying them all out. Just over their shoulders, in their arms, however they could get them out."
The family member in the worst shape is 83-year-old Lucian Conte, who was in the shower when he smelled smoke.
Second Witness: "He uses a walker. They grabbed him out of the shower, and he had severe burns on his legs. So they threw him in the snow and that helped the severity of the burns as I understand."
He was rushed to the hospital in respiratory arrest. His twin brother also was hospitalized with smoke inhalation, and the same happened to their 82-year-old sister Grace. The other three sisters, but had to watch their home burn.
Third Witness: "They're wonderful people, we've known them for 70, 80 years."
There were a few firefighters injured as well, one of them with a minor burn to his hand. But the focus now is on the Conte family.
Second Witness: "It's like your worst nightmare. You never want to see anybody go through that, and all you want to do is reach out and help, as much as we can."
The fire has been put out, and investigators are still trying to determine a cause. They tell us that it appears the fire was accidental, and started in one of the front bedrooms on the second floor.
Investigators say that many of the brothers and sisters were smokers, and the possibility the fire is related to smoking is being examined.
