NY fire kills 2 children; 2 others in serious condition

NEW YORK (AP) — Two children died, and two others were in critical condition, after a fire swept through a New York City home just days before Christmas.

Firefighters arrived at the Staten Island home Friday just after 10 a.m. and put out the fire in about an hour, Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said.

“Tragically, we lost two young children here today and two more are in critical condition at the hospital,” she said, adding that two teenagers and a firefighter suffered minor injuries.

Authorities did not immediately provide a cause for the fire.

“The entire second floor was engulfed in flames. Once they started to move in the hose line, they quickly extinguished the fire. And we found the victims inside all unconscious and needing to be removed,” said FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens.