BRIDGEPORT - The investigation continues into a deadly fire in Bridgeport that took the life of a toddler and sent five people to the hospital.
Three year old Sincere Pettway died after the condo she was in caught on fire early Sunday morning.
Firefighters battled the blaze on the first floor while a ladder company went through a second story window where they found the little girl under a crib. They got her out but could not revive her. The child's mother, Shaneese Pettway sustained burns trying to rescue her daughter.
"The fire was right inside the front door, almost blocking the front stairs," said Assistant Bridgeport Fire Chief Richard Thode. "So without protective equipment a civilian would not have made it past that front door."
The two adults and three children that survived the fire were taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation and some with burns. Bridgeport fire officials say the Greentree Condominium on Frenchtown Road did not have working smoke alarms.
"It's the difference between early warning and escaping a serious situation like that and not escaping," said Assistant Bridgeport Fire Chief John Macnicholl.
As the commotion continued in the early morning hours on Sunday, neighbor Bianca Ayala took the children that escaped safely into her condo to keep them warm.
"One of the girls didn't have pants on so I grabbed sweats and gave it to her. The baby was crawling on the floor, they couldn't hold her because her hands were burned," said Ayala.
News of Sincere's death is already hitting home in the Bridgeport community as friends and neighbors come to terms with this tragic and unexpected loss.
"I have known the family for many years," said Arlene Mercer of Bridgeport, who brought a teddy bear and a red rose to the condo. "Just so beautiful, it's a beautiful family."
Sincere’s family said they are accepting donations at Neetra Pettway’s Bridgeport home. She is the victim’s grandmother. The address is 979 Central Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06607