Children's sleepover turns deadly
Fire sweeps through home, killing nine people
(CNN) -- A children's sleepover in Cleveland, Ohio, ended tragically early Saturday when fire swept through the white, two-story home, killing nine people, including seven children.
The children ranged in age from 12 to 15, Fire Chief Paul Stubbs said. It was Cleveland's deadliest fire in more than 25 years, city officials said.
Although the cause of the fire is under investigation, Stubbs said an initial probe indicates it was nothing more than an accident.
Smoke detectors were found in the debris of the home, and officials are investigating whether they functioned properly, Stubbs said.
"It was an enormous fire," said Cleveland police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho.
Firefighters arrived in the eastside neighborhood a little later than 3 a.m. and found "a large volume of fire on the first floor," said Stubbs.
Fire officials said neighbors attempted to get into the home and help those inside but that raging flames kept them back.
Stubbs said the fire overwhelmed aggressive efforts to contain it: "The fire had too much headway, and they were unsuccessful in bringing any survivors out."
Several screaming bystanders, presumably relatives of the victims, had to be kept back by firefighters and police.
All the victims were found in different locations on the second floor, fire officials said.
Fire officials said earlier that the adults who died were ages 34 and 45. The bodies of three people, who died of smoke inhalation, were burned beyond recognition, said Dr. Elizabeth K. Balraj, Cuyahoga County coroner. She said DNA and dental records will be used to identify them.
The other victims are Media Carter, 34; Davonte Carter, 15; Moses Williams, 15; Antwon Jackson, 14; Ernest Tate, 13; and Miles Cockfield, 13, Balraj said.
"I just want somebody to pray for me ... and my family," said Richard Carter, who lost his daughter in the fire.
Authorities are still trying to sort out how the victims were related, said Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell. Some of those attending the sleepover were cousins, she said.
In addition, one of the victims was the nephew of an assistant fire chief, a second was a cousin to an active firefighter, and a third visited City Hall in April with his mother, a city finance department employee, Campbell said.
"Each of those shows you how this is a community where we are connected, one to another."
Campbell said the mother who perished in the fire was known as "one of those kind of women who loved having children in her home, loved her own children, cared for them carefully, and so other children came close."
She said she had visited with family members of some of the victims, "and as you can imagine, they're all in shock. The tragedy was so quick, so overwhelming, that the only things they have asked for at this point is, 'See if you can figure out how this happened.'"
Two adults in their 30s managed to escape the flames, said Stubbs. One was in the basement and suffered only minor burns. The other person was in critical but stable condition in a hospital burn unit. Authorities do not know where in the house that person was, Stubbs said.
The mayor said that firefighters evacuated three elderly people in the adjacent homes, taking them out of second-story windows. Their homes were touched by fire, Campbell said.
"All of those three folks are doing well, physically. As you can imagine, they are extremely disturbed by what's happened," she said. "This is a very close street. People really knew each other."
The Red Cross is offering counseling and assistance to residents, Campbell said.
In addition, area councilwoman Fannie Lewis said an account may be set up at a bank to assist relatives of the victims.
"This is a strong neighborhood, it's a strong community and it's a strong street."
