FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — An 8-year-old boy and his 6-year-old sister are dead after a house fire just outside of Kingsburg.
Fresno County Fire responded to multiple reports of a house fire on East Kamm Avenue near Golden State Boulevard at 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
Crews from the City of Selma Fire Department, Kingsburg Fire Department and Kings County Fire Department assisted on the call.
When crews arrived, they found the house as well as a car engulfed in flames.
After navigating through several hazards like propane tanks, firefighters were able to control the flames and locate the two victims, now known as the children, inside the home.
Irma, a parent who lives nearby, said what happened is heartbreaking, and there are no words for the pain the family is feeling.
“It’s devastating,” said Irma.
Irma’s family heard the sirens rush into the neighborhood.
“We came outside and that’s when I [saw] all this was blocked off,” said Irma. “They were right here on the driveway no one could get in.”
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office says dispatchers had learned an unknown person, now identified as the mother of the two children, was ramming a vehicle into the home.
Deputies say the mother later explained she was inside the home when the fire broke out. She was unable to get to her children in the other room, so she went outside to intentionally crash her SUV into the home to create an exit for the kids.
“As a mom, I would want to do the same thing she did,” said Irma. “Run my car and try to save my kids because your kids are your priority and it’s just heartbreaking.”
The mother suffered non-life-threatening burns to her hands and face.
The names of the children were not released. Family members say both the children were autistic.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation and no foul play is expected. The house is a total loss.
