1 child killed, 2 children injured in Zarragossa Street house fire in Pensacola
One child was killed and two other children were injured in a house fire near downtown Pensacola on Friday.
Pensacola Fire Department received a call at approximately 12:43 p.m. reporting a residential structure fire in the 700 block of West Zarragossa Street, according to a city of Pensacola spokesperson. First responders received a report from dispatch of three children trapped inside the home.
Crews arrived on scene at approximately 12:47 p.m. to find heavy smoke showing from the residence. There was severe fire damage throughout the home.
Officers arrived on scene to find one child near the doorway, and they moved the child away from the home and began to provide medical care. Officers then broke a window in an attempt to locate the other two children in the home.
Firefighters arrived on scene soon after and entered the home through the front door in severe smoke and heat conditions, locating and removing the other two children after a thorough search.
First responders from PFD, PPD and Escambia County provided medical assistance to the victims on scene. One child was pronounced deceased on scene, and two children and an adult male were transported to a local hospital by Escambia County EMS. Two PFD firefighters are being evaluated for mild burns.
On Friday afternoon, Joe Lisper was desperate for news. He said the fire occurred in his son's apartment, a smaller building adjacent to his own home, and that it was his grandchildren who had been inside. At the time, he wasn't sure which one of the children had been killed.
"We've been sitting here for about an hour, an hour and a half, hoping somebody will at least let me know something," Lisper said with frustration. "They got a job to do and I don't want to interfere with anything if they find anything out."
Police blocked off the area around A Street as first responders brought the blaze under control. Pensacola Fire Chief Ginny Cranor said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. The building was destroyed, she said.
Cranor said she could not speak to the extent of the injuries to the children.
"Our heart goes out to the family for this tragedy and the neighbors in this community," Cranor said, adding that tragedies of this nature also take a toll on firefighters, police and medical personnel.
“This is a tragic day in our city,” Mayor D.C. Reeves said in a statement. “It is a tragedy for everyone involved, and our hearts go out to the victim’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.
“Thank you to our Pensacola Fire, Pensacola Police and all first responders for their quick response and unwavering dedication, even when it means risking their lives for others as they did once again today. Our hearts are especially heavy as we grieve the loss of a precious child in our community.”
The Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosive Investigations is investigating the cause of the fire.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Zarragossa Street Pensacola home fire killed one child injured 2 more
