4 children die in early morning fire at Florida home

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) – A house fire in Florida has killed four young children, including an infant.

Escambia County Fire Rescue battalion chief Curt Isakson tells the Pensacola News-Journal (http://on.pnj.com/24cC1Pk ) that the mother and an older sibling escaped without injury. The fire started about 5:30 a.m. Thursday in a small wooden house in Pensacola.

Isakson says the victims were two boys, ages 11 and 5, and two girls, ages 3 and 11 months.

Isakson says firefighters found the children in one room. He says first responders couldn’t locate a smoke detector in the home.

Neighbor Roxanne Walker told the newspaper flames quickly engulfed the home. She says she heard windows popping out and there was nothing anyone could do to help.

The newspaper says grief counselors were sent to the school that some of the children had attended.