'We Feel For The Family,' House Fire In DeSoto Kills Sleeping 1 And 2-Year-Old, Police Investigating

DESOTO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Two children are dead after a house fire in DeSoto that started around 4:30 Tuesday morning.

It happened in the 100 block of Wildwood Court.

"Police arrived before the fire department, and the house was engulfed in flames," according to DeSoto Police Department spokesperson Pete Schulte. "The heat was so intense that police couldn't get past the sidewalk to the house."

DeSoto Fire Chief Jerry Duffield said the fire started in the back of the house near the kitchen and moved swiftly into the living area. Several people live in the house, four adults and six children. Schulte said at this time, it looks as though everyone was asleep when the fire started. The adults, who tried to reach the children but the flames were too intense for them to get upstairs, screamed to firefighters about the babies still inside.

Despite the extreme heat, firefighters were able to remove the children from the burning home within 16 minutes of the time the call came into dispatch. They performed CPR on the babies the whole way to the hospital where they were pronounced dead.

"I saw the fireman sitting on the planter in front of the house and I could tell he was really torn apart," said neighbor Sibyl Washington.

Even though the house was known to police, with several serious domestic violence calls received in the past, and a history with CPS, Schulte stressed that nothing in the investigation is saying whether there was any criminal conduct or if it was just an accident.

"This could be a tragic accident and we feel for the family right now," said Schulte.

Chief Duffield confirmed that the family had power and water too.

For now, the investigation into what caused the fatal fire and how the children died continues.

"These children deserve our full attention to determine what caused the fire," said Chief Duffield. "We'll risk everything for these children. Most of us are parents, and when you go on a call like this… the children... they stay with you."

The Texas Fire Marshals are also assisting investigate the incident. Officials ask anyone who has video surveillance or any footage that shows what happened at the time of the fire to call the police.