A fast-moving fire in a Wilmington row home left two young girls, a 3-year-old and a 3-month-old, dead. Their mother was critically injured in the Tuesday afternoon blaze.
Wilmington fire crews were summoned to North Monroe Street around 4 p.m.
"I tried to get in there and all I kept thinking about was the kids," neighbor Aaron McManus told 6abc.com. He was pushed out of the home by the intense heat and smoke.
Fire officials told the television station that the mother narrowly escaped with her 2-year-old. Witnesses said the 37-year-old was seriously burned, but fought to get back into her home to help her children.
Early video from the scene showed fire shooting from both windows on the second floor.
"The house was like any home with nine people living in there, a lot of materials in there, and the fire travelled quickly," said Wilmington Fire Chief Anthony Goode.
One firefighter had to bail out of a second floor window to escape the heat, local media reported.
The cause of the fire, which was brought under control in 30 minutes, is under investigation.
The chief confirmed to the television station that the closest fire station was closed yesterday due to budget issues.
No firefighter injuries were reported.
