CINCINNATI — Two children have died one week after a fire in Winton Hills, the Hamilton County Coroner's Office said.
More than 60 firefighters responded to the report of two kids trapped in a burning building on Strand Lane right next to Winton Hills Academy around 5:30 a.m. Thursday, May 11. When they arrived, they saw heavy flames pouring out of the home.
Four children were in the home at the time of the fire. Two were rescued by firefighters from the second story of the home and rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
The children's grandmother initially told WCPO that one of the children died around 24 hours after the fire, however, the Hamilton County Coroner's Office said both children, 5-year-old Addyson Marshall and 7-year-old Alijah McKenzie, died 10 minutes apart from each other Thursday May, 18.
CFD said another child was able to "self-evacuate" before crews arrived.
Neighbor Rick Monk said he and his wife ran inside too, hoping to save the children.
"When we got to the top of the steps, there's four bedrooms, we couldn't find them," he said. "The smoke was so bad. We had to come out ourselves."
Fire crews told WCPO they had to battle the flames first, so that it was safe enough for them to enter the home to search for the other two children.
First responders found the two kids on the second floor. Once out of the home, they were rushed to Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
A third child was also transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, CFD said.
Other than the three children transported, an adult who was inside the home and the child who self-evacuated were not injured.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire, and the estimated damage to the home is $110,000, according to a CFD report.
The family involved in the fire has set up a GoFundMe to cover the expenses. You can click here to donate.
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