GARY, Ind. - Fire gutted a small house early Wednesday, killing three children and two adults, and authorities said burglar bars on the windows may have kept the victims from escaping.
The victims included a woman and her 1-year-old son and a man and his 9- and 12-year-old sons, the Lake County coroner’s office said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately determined, said Michael Gregory, the Fire Department’s chief inspector.
The house had burglar bars on its windows, but firefighters said they were able to enter the house through the front door and picture window.
“The burglar bars probably hampered the people to get out,” said Fire Department spokesman Greg Melyon. “They did not hamper our people to get in.”
The victims were identified as Laura Smith, 37, and her 1-year-old son, Malik Smith; Kenneth Andrews, 35, and his sons Darriontae Andrews, 9, and Andre Andrews, 12.
Two of Andrews’ other sons were hospitalized in serious condition, authorities said. Another woman, who was not immediately identified, also was listed as hospitalized, officials said.
Neighbor Michael Dukes, a former Gary firefighter, said he rushed outside when he heard a woman screaming for help.
“We started trying to fight the fire,” Dukes said. “We got a garden hose, and we started to try to go up in there to see how far we could go. I got to the living room, but it was just too hot.”