FRANKLINTON, LA – Two children are dead and three children were airlifted to a Baton Rouge hospital after a fire in a mobile home near Franklinton overnight.
Firefighters arrived on the scene around 12:45 a.m. to find a mobile home in the 45000 block of Beau Drive engulfed in flames, according to a statement by the Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Upon arrival, firefighters found two adults and three children outside of the home, but the family alerted the firefighters that two children were still inside.
Unfortunately, firefighters later found the bodies of a 10-year-old girl and a 6-year-old, in separate bedrooms.
Witnesses explained that the 3-year-old boy noticed the fire and alerted a male adult, and the two of them escaped through a window.
The adult female attempted to access the other children, but had to be pulled from her home by a neighbor.
The adult male then re-entered the home from the front, and was able to pull two more children to safety.
Attempts to reach the remaining two children were unsuccessful.
The three surviving children were airlifted to a hospital in Baton Rouge, according to the State Fire Marshal.
According to the State Fire Marshal, a 4-year-old girl remains in critical condition, a 6-year-old girl is in the pediatric ICU and a 3-year-old boy is in stable condition.
The adult male suffered mild smoke inhalation and cuts, but did not receive medical treatment, and the adult female was unharmed by the fire.
Reports show the adults and three of the children lived in the mobile home, while the two additional children are cousins, and were just visiting for the night.
The deceased 10-year-old lived in the home, while the deceased 6-year-old was just visiting.
Investigators believe the fire began in a bedroom in the center of the structure, where the 10-year-old was found.
While an exact cause remains under investigation, there are no suspicious circumstances at this time.