By Susan Phillips
WUSA9
LORTON, Va. — A 24-year-old mother and two of her children died in a fire after the woman saved her three other children by telling them to jump out the window.
Friends identify the mother recently separated from her husband as Eileen Armstrong, known as Allie. They said she had been recently facing financial difficulties after giving birth to her two month old daughter.
Witnesses watched in horror Wednesday morning as Armstrong stood inside her burning townhouse unit on the 9600 block of Hagel Circle. She told her 6-year-old son and 8-year-old son to jump to the ground to safety. She then saved the infant’s life by throwing her from a second floor window into the arms of a friend outside.
But neighbors never saw her after she disappeared inside to rescue her 3-year-old and 5-year-old sons. Flames spread to rapidly, and they watched helpless.
Fire officials in Fairfax County told 9News Now that the town house fire in Lorton claimed three lives Wednesday morning.
Fire department spokesperson Capt. Willie Bailey said the infant was flown to the Washington Hospital Center and the two children and one adult were also transported to the same hospital by ambulance.
Bailey said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Republished with permission from WUSA9.