HARTFORD — When a multi-family home on Edgewood Street caught fire early Wednesday morning, two teenage residents reacted quickly to get their families and neighbors out safely, fire officials said.
Alerted by smoke alarms inside the three-story house, a 17-year-old girl passed her 7 brothers and sisters through a first-floor window to get them out of the home, fire officials said.
A 16-year-old boy living on the second floor led his sister outside and alerted the third floor residents to the fire, according to fire officials.
“What they did was especially brave and important in getting everyone out safely,” said Sandra Sorel-Leduc, a Red Cross volunteer who responded to assist the displaced families.
The two-alarm fire at 190-192 Edgewood Street was reported shortly before 3 a.m. Responding firefighters found heavy fire in the front of the building, fire officials said.
The fire marshal determined that the fire was started when a space heater ignited some bedding. The blaze was ruled accidental.
A total of 4 adults and 13 children were displaced because of the fire. They were relocated with the help of the fire department’s Special Services Unit, the Hartford Office of License and Inspection, the city’s Health and Human Services Division and the American Red Cross, fire officials said.
By Kelly Glista, Hartford Courant.