2 children killed in fire in Trenton, New Jersey, officials say

Two children were killed when a fire ripped through a home in Trenton, New Jersey, Wednesday morning, fire officials said.

Calls first came in before 4 a.m. with reports of people trapped, Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Rice said. The impacted home is on the 300 block of Hewitt Street.

The children killed are a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy. A man was also in the home and got out safely.

"I kind of heard an explosion at like 4 o'clock in the morning," neighbor Nyasya Pierre said, "and I seen the firefighters out the window."

The home's front facade is burned, and firefighting efforts have concluded. Rice said the home is "completely destroyed" on the inside.

One neighbor tried to help fight the fire with a garden hose before firefighters arrived, knowing there were people inside, Rice said.

Neighbors said the family had only moved into the neighborhood a few days ago.

Officials said the fire appears to have started in the living room before spreading to an attached building.

One firefighter was treated on scene and released. Another was taken to a hospital for burns to one of his legs that were not life-threatening.

"He had some burns to the back of his legs," Rice said. "I'm not sure whether it was steam burns or due to the volume of fire he encountered, whether it was just hot water coming down and scalded him."

Four families were displaced and the American Red Cross is providing assistance.

It's not clear whether the home had working smoke detectors.

"Make sure not only that you hug your loved ones, but make sure that they have working smoke detectors," Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said. "I can't stress enough the importance, especially with rowhouses, and in a close-knit community, the fire can quickly get out of hand."

The mayor said schools have been notified so they can provide support to students affected by this loss.

Fire marshals are working to learn more about the cause of the fire.