Jeannette house fire leads to Pennsylvania dad, Tyler J. King and 4 kids killed while mother, Miranda John and two other siblings survive. Desperate mom had tried to save her trapped children.
Four young children and one adult were killed in a house fire that broke out in Pennsylvania, Wednesday night. Surviving the blaze which left the home in ruins was the children’s mother and two other siblings, who watched on helplessly as other family members perished in the inferno.
The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office named the victims as Tyler J. King, 27, and his children Kyson John, 7; Kinzleigh John, 6; Keagan John, 3; and one-month-old Korbyn John.
The children’s surviving mother was identified as Miranda John, WTAE reported.
‘The mother, she just didn’t want to give up,’
Officials stated the house fire broke out around midnight at their home in Jeannette, roughly 30 miles outside Pittsburgh. The cause of the blaze remained unknown.
The children’s mother was observed on the roof of the family home, screaming about her children.
Neighbor, Jack Mull joined firefighters in saving her, finding a ladder to rescue the trapped mom and her two children.
Despite the flames taking hold of the home, the hero neighbor said the mother tried to go back inside.
‘The mother, she just didn’t want to give up,’ Mull told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. ‘It’s the worst thing you could ever imagine, knowing they were in there.’
The Good Samaritan described the family as a good loving family, while commending the mother and father as, ‘very good parents who love their kids.’
Firefighters struggled to battle the flames due to issues getting water from a nearby hydrant. Tankers were called while the firefighters accessed a different hydrant.
What caused fire?
This complication, coupled with the intensity of the flames upon arrival – 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 an issue with the water supply,’ the official explained.
‘The first hydrant that we hit gave us a little bit of water but not even enough to make it up the hill to the scene, so we did run off of tank water at one point. At that point, the fire was well involved and we had to pull our guys out.’
One fireman was taken to a hospital after he fell and broke 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.
Speaking to CBS News, Mull said he tried to rescue the family but was unable to enter the burning house.
‘I screamed at my daughter to call 911 and ran over and tried to get in downstairs but it was just too hot and too many flames,’ he said.
All that was left standing at the family’s home was the chimney.
Loving family remembered
The blaze also spread to a home next door, razing it to the ground. The occupants were able to escape without any injuries according to WTAE.
Less than 24 hours before the deadly blaze broke out, the children’s father reposted a message to Facebook on Tuesday morning.
‘DNA doesn’t make you a parent,’ the post read. ‘Your presence, effort and actions do.’
The Jeannette City School District sent a letter to families after losing ‘multiple members of our school district community’ in the incident.
‘It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I send this message in the aftermath of the tragic fire that has deeply affected out city,’ Superintendent Matthew Jones said.
The district extended its ‘deepest condolences and unwavering support’ to the victims’ loved ones.
‘In times of adversity, it is our strength, resilience and sense of community that will see us through,’ Jones said.
District officials plan to bring in counselors and social workers to assist students and staff.
