Five children, including 1-year-old twins, died in a late-night fire that swept through a house after neighbors were awakened by a loud boom, firefighters said.
The only survivor was the children's mother, who jumped out of a second-floor window Sunday night, according to Youngstown Fire Capt. Kurt Wright.
The other three children who died were ages 9, 3 and 2, he said.
Bob Sharp with the Ohio State Fire Marshall's office stands near a home after a deadly fire in Youngstown, Ohio, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. Authorities report that several children died in the fire. (William D. LewisThe Vindicator via AP)
State and local investigators were just beginning to search for a cause of the deadly blaze. Fire officials said so far, there's nothing that indicates the fire was suspicious.
Most of the damage was on the home's first floor, leading investigators to believe that's where the fire started, Wright said.
Deborah Rivera, who lives across the street, told the Youngstown Vindicator she heard a loud boom and called 911. Her boyfriend, Justin Viera, said flames were shooting out of the first-floor windows.
Melissa Thomas, right, wipes away a tear as her daughter Elissa Simione looks on near the scene of a deadly fire in Youngstown, Ohio, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. Authorities report that several children died in the fire. (William D. LewisThe Vindicator via AP)
Neighbors told WFMJ-TV the family had just moved into the house about six months ago. The two-story wood home was built more than 90 years ago.
"We have a relatively young department and most the guys have children. So it hits pretty hard and the fact that it's so close to Christmas hits even harder," said Youngstown Fire Chief Barry Finley.
Firefighters found flames throughout the home's first floor when they arrived and were able to pull out three of the children, but they died at a hospital, Wright said.
Police tape marks off part of the scene after a deadly fire in Youngstown, Ohio, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. Authorities report that several children died in the fire. (William D. LewisThe Vindicator via AP)
The mother was taken to a hospital and is being treated for injuries, he said.
One firefighter was treated at the scene and another was taken to a hospital for treatment and released.
A memorial to the children was beginning to grow outside the home
Melissa Thomas did not know the victims, but stopped with her daughters Elissa and Marissa Simione to drop off stuffed animals in honor of the children.
"I got two kids," she said. "I can't imagine five."
WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia has moved some troops onto an airbase in Niger where a small number of U.S. forces remain, but Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he doesn't see it as a significant issue. Most American troops left that base in the nation's capital, Niamey, a U.S. official said.
The arrival of Russian trainers in the West African country about three weeks ago came in the wake of Niger’s decision to order out all U.S. troops. The order dealt a blow to U.S. military operations in the Sahel, a vast region south of the Sahara desert where groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group operate.
The Pentagon has said the U.S. troops will depart but has not provided a timeline.
When Russian troops arrived last month, it was unclear where they were staying. The Niamey base, Austin said late Thursday, is located at the capital city's Diori Hamani International Airport, and “the Russians are in a separate compound and don’t have access to U.S. forces or access to our equipment.”
He said the U.S. will continue to watch the situation but he doesn't see it as a significant force protection issue.
A U.S. official said the Russian forces are on the other side of the Niamey facility, known as Airbase 101, and that other international forces — such as the Germans and Italians — also reside. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements. It's unclear how many U.S. troops remain at the Niamey base.
The Russian presence on the base comes as tensions remain high between Washington and Moscow over the ongoing U.S. support for Ukraine's military.
About 1,000 U.S. troops are still in Niger, but the bulk of them moved to what's called Airbase 201 near Agadez, some 920 kilometers (550 miles) away from the capital, not long after mutinous soldiers ousted the country’s democratically elected president last July.
A few months later, the ruling junta asked French forces to leave and turned to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for security assistance.
In October, Washington officially designated the military takeover as a coup, which triggered U.S. laws restricting the military support and aid that it can provide to Niger. Since then, diplomatic efforts to restore ties with Niger have been unsuccessful.
Until recently, Washington considered Niger a key partner and ally in a region swept by coups in recent years, investing millions of dollars in the Agadez base, which has been critical to U.S. counterterrorism operations in the Sahel. The U.S. also has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in training Niger’s military since it began operations there in 2013.
The Pentagon also has said the U.S. will relocate most of the approximately 100 forces it has deployed in neighboring Chad for now. Chad is also considering whether to continue its security agreement with the U.S.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters that the departure from Chad "is a temporary step as part of the ongoing review of our security cooperation, which will resume after Chad’s May 6th presidential election.”
FILE - Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather for a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference, in Niamey, Niger, Aug. 3, 2023. Russia has moved some troops onto an airbase in Niger where a small number of U.S. forces remain after most American troops left the base in Niamey, the nation's capital, a U.S. official said Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
