Neighbors told 13News Now the mother fought to save her newborn baby and two other children.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A woman is dead after a fire engulfed a duplex in Portsmouth, entrapping several residents Friday night, officials said.
The fire broke out just before 9:45 p.m. at a single-story duplex on Neville Street, between Manteo and Shelby streets. As Portsmouth Fire Rescue and Emergency Services (PFRES) was heading to the scene, crews learned that there were people trapped inside.
Neighbors said the woman who died is a mother, who fought to save her newborn baby and two other children.
“She got the baby out, the baby went through the window with the others,” said Daesha Wilson, a next-door neighbor. “But those other two babies, I think she went looking for them.”
Officials said two other adults managed to escape through the window, but the mother and two children remained trapped inside.
Firefighters worked to put out the flames and later performed advanced life support treatment to rescue the children. Officials said they remain in critical condition.
Three adults and three children were all rushed to the hospital for medical treatment, but the woman later died.
“My heart is breaking for them, it just hurt so much,” said Wilson. “We are all mothers in this unit, her daughter is my daughter’s age. It’s all too much.”
The department commended both the fire crews and paramedics, calling their efforts “heroic” and “valiant.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, although the Portsmouth deputy fire chief said arson was unlikely.
Wilson said the mother complained for years about an unsafe stove, but the Portsmouth Fire Marshal’s Office could not confirm this.
The investigation remains ongoing. The fire heavily damaged the duplex, leaving it unlivable. The Red Cross responded to help the impacted residents.
