A father and two children have been hospitalized after they were rescued from a house fire near Fort Worth's West Morningside neighborhood Monday, family and fire officials say.
The fire happened Monday afternoon in the 2100 block of South Jennings Avenue -- just south of John Peter Smith Hospital -- the Fort Worth Fire Department said.
When crews arrived there was a man outside the home with serious to critical injuries who told them two children were still inside, officials said.
Firefighters rescued two children ages one and four from the home, who have both been taken to an area hospital in critical condition, officials said. On Tuesday, officials said the father's condition is considered stable. The 4-year-old was transferred to Children's Health in Dallas and is said to be in critical but stable condition. The 1-year-old was also transferred to Children's Health in Dallas overnight and is said to also be in critical but stable condition at this time.
Neighbors said they saw the smoke and were surprised by the intensity of the fire.
“I looked out the window and seen the smoke and was like come on somethings happening," neighbor Monica Travino said.
Travino said she and her kids used one of their ladders to help the father of the two children escape. Once out, he begged them to go in after his kids.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“At the time he was just like, 'Save my kids, save my kids, let me die.'That’s when I told my son to go kick the door down and go get them," Travino said.
But the fire was too intense for her son and firefighters had to enter and rescue the children when they arrived.
“It is just real traumatic, we have to figure out what we are going to do," said Juanita Strain, the boys' great-grandmother.
Strain said all three members of the family were transferred to Parkland Hospital in Dallas and the 1-year old boy was in especially bad condition.
“You cannot believe it, you can just absolutely not believe they are talking about your grandchildren," Strain said.
Information on the cause of the fire was not immediately available.
