The Pennsylvania man and four children, including a one-month-old girl, killed in a massive house fire have been identified.
The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office named the victims as Tyler King, 27, and his children Kyson John, 7; Kinzleigh John, 6; Keagan John, 3; and one-month-old Korbyn John.
The children’s mother, Miranda John, and two other siblings survived the blaze, which broke out around midnight at their home in Jeannette, roughly 30 miles outside Pittsburgh.
King frequently shared photos of his children to Facebook, documenting their lives as they grew up.
Korbyn, the youngest victim of the house fire, was born February 9, with the doting father writing that their family was ‘now complete.’
‘I can’t wait to take you home for the kiddos to see,’ he wrote. ‘I can’t wait to see where life takes you baby.’
Tyler King, 27, and his four young children died in a house fire in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, early Tuesday morning
King’s daughter Kinzleigh John, 6, was identified as one of the victims, as well as her younger sister, one-month-old Korbyn John
The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office named three-year-old Keagan John and seven-year-old Kyson John as the other victims
Neighbor Jack Mull told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he witnessed the fire and worked with first responders to rescue John and two of the couple’s children.
‘She was standing on top of the roof screaming about her kids,’ Mull said.
Firefighters struggled to battle the flames due to issues getting water from a nearby hydrant. Tankers were called while the firefighters accessed a different hydrant.
This complication, coupled with the intensity of the flames upon arrival – which were so strong that a ladder truck caught fire – prevented rescuers from saving the entire family, Fire Chief Bill Frye said at the scene.
‘We had an issue with the water supply,’ he explained.
‘The first hydrant that we hit gave us a little bit of water but not even enough to make it up the hill to the scene, so we did run off of tank water at one point. At that point, the fire was well involved and we had to pull our guys out.’
One fireman was taken to a hospital after he fell and broke his elbow.
‘It’s a very sad night here in Jeannette,’ Frye said.
He urged the public to keep the family and first responders in their thoughts and prayers.
King’s neighbor told a local outlet that he spotted the children’s mother, Miranda John, standing on the roof of the burning house and screaming about her kids
John and two of the couple’s other children survived the massive blaze, which razed the house next door to the ground
Issues with the water supply from a nearby hydrant as well as the intensity of the flames prevented firefighters from rescuing the entire family
King frequently shared photos of his children to Facebook. ‘I can’t wait to see where life takes you baby,’ he wrote on the day of Korbyn’s birth
Speaking to CBS News, Mull said he tried to rescue the family but was unable to enter the burning house.
‘I screamed at my daughter to call 911 and ran over and tried to get in downstairs but it was just too hot and too many flames,’ he said.
The blaze also spread to a home next door, razing it to the ground. The occupants were able to escape without any injuries.
The Jeannette City School District sent a letter to families after losing ‘multiple members of our school district community’ in the incident.
‘It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I send this message in the aftermath of the tragic fire that has deeply affected out city,’ Superintendent Matthew Jones said.
The district extended its ‘deepest condolences and unwavering support’ to the victims’ loved ones.
‘In times of adversity, it is our strength, resilience and sense of community that will see us through,’ Jones said.
District officials plan to bring in counselors and social workers to assist students and staff.
King reposted a message to Facebook on Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours before the deadly blaze broke out.
‘DNA doesn’t make you a parent,’ the post read. ‘Your presence, effort and actions do.’