The Pennsylvania man and his four children, including a 1-month-old girl, killed in a massive house fire have been identified.
The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office named the victims as Tyler King, 27, and his children Kyson John, 7; Kinzleigh John, 6; Keagan John, 3; and Korbyn John, one month old.
The children’s mother, Miranda John, and two other siblings survived the fire that broke out around midnight at their home in Jeannette, about 30 miles from Pittsburgh.
Neighbor Jack Mull saw the devastated mother on the roof of the family home and was horrified to hear her screaming about her children.
Mull joined the firefighters in rescuing her, finding a ladder to save her and the two children.
Despite the house being engulfed in flames, he said she tried to get back inside.
“The mother just didn’t want to give up,” Mull told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. “It’s the worst thing you could imagine, knowing they were in there.”
Tyler King, 27, and his four young children died in a house fire in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, early Tuesday morning.
King’s daughter, Kinzleigh John, 6, was identified as one of the victims, along with her younger sister, 1-month-old Korbyn John.
The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office named three-year-old Keagan John and seven-year-old Kyson John as the other victims.
Firefighters had difficulty battling the flames due to problems with the water supply from a nearby fire hydrant. Tanker trucks were called while firefighters accessed another fire hydrant.
That complication, coupled with the intensity of the arriving flames — which were so strong that a ladder truck caught fire — prevented rescuers from saving the entire family, Fire Chief Bill Frye said at the scene. .
“We had a problem with the water supply,” he explained.
“The first fire hydrant we hit gave us some water, but not even enough to get up the hill to the scene, so we emptied the water from the tank at one point. By then the fire was well under control and we had to withdraw our men.
A firefighter was taken to hospital after falling and breaking his elbow.
“It’s a very sad night here in Jeannette,” Frye said.
He urged the public to keep the family and first responders in their thoughts and prayers.
King’s neighbor told a local media outlet that he spotted the children’s mother, Miranda John, standing on the roof of the burning house and screaming about her children.
John and two of the couple’s other children survived the massive fire that razed the neighboring house to the ground.
Problems with the water supply from a nearby fire hydrant and the intensity of the flames prevented firefighters from rescuing the entire family.
King frequently shared photos of his children on Facebook. “I can’t wait to see where life takes you baby,” he wrote the day Korbyn was born.
Talk to CBS NewsMull said he tried to save the family but was unable to get into the burning house.
“I screamed for my daughter to call 911 and I ran and tried to get down, but it was just too hot and there were too many flames,” he said.
The fire also spread to a neighboring house, razing it to the ground. The occupants were able to escape without any injuries.
King frequently shared photos of his children on Facebook, documenting their lives as they grew up.
Korbyn, the youngest victim of the house fire, was born on February 9, with her doting father writing that their family was “now complete.”
“I can’t wait to bring you home so the kids can see,” he wrote. “I can’t wait to see where life takes you baby.”
Less than 24 hours before the deadly fire broke out, King reposted a message on Facebook Tuesday morning.
“DNA does not make you a parent,” the message read. “Your presence, your efforts and your actions do it.”
The Jeannette City School District sent a letter to families after losing “several members of our school district community” in the incident.
“It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that I send this message following the tragic fire that has deeply affected our city,” said Superintendent Matthew Jones.
The district offered its “deepest condolences and unwavering support” to the victims’ loved ones.
“In times of adversity, it is our strength, our resilience and our sense of community that will see us through,” Jones said.
District officials plan to bring in counselors and social workers to help students and staff.