NORWICH, Conn. — A seven-year-old girl died after a fire tore through a home in Norwich Tuesday night, officials said.
At 5:25 p.m., Norwich emergency dispatch received multiple 911 calls about a large fire at a home on Summit Street. Callers also reported that a child was trapped in the house.
The town's police and fire departments responded within minutes and found a two-story, single-family home "fully engulfed in flames," police said.
Fire officials said a mother and her three young children were home at the time of the fire. The mother, her five-year-old, and her twelve-year-old were able to escape. The two kids took shelter at a neighbor's house while family and others tried to rescue the remaining child.
Firefighters entered the home and found the little girl in a bedroom on the second floor. First responders rushed the child to Backus Hospital for treatment, where she was pronounced dead. Her mother was also taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation but was later released.
"It's the 'nightmare' call," said Norwich Fire Chief Tracy Montoya. "A vast majority of us have children ourselves, have grandchildren, and we know how important it is to get in there as quickly as we can."
Montoya said there was a single stairway inside the home, right inside the front door, where the bulk of the fire was.
“Just inside the door to the right and in the door was the heaviest volume of fire. So that’s where the firefighters had to make entry and go up and down through that area," Montoya said. “At that point, the stairs, the balusters were all burned out. And the stairs were weakened. But the guys will do what they can to get in there to help who they can.”
The Norwich Fire Marshal's Office, with the help of the State Fire Marshal, is investigating the cause of the fire.
Police said the Yantic Fire Department, East Great Plain Fire Department, and the Mohegan Tribal Fire Department FAST Team also responded to the scene.
Neighbors in the area are devastated by what happened. Many of them were left speechless when talking about the young girl.
“It just...oh…awful awful awful to know the little girl. Awful," said Sheri Hinkle, who lives across the street from the home.
Hinkle said she'd always see the girl and her siblings playing outside. She said the school bus stop is right in front of their home, where many would see her every day.
“On the bus every morning and every evening. They’d come in; the bus stops right there in front of their house. And I don’t know how all the other kids are going to deal with this," Hinkle said.
“I think everyone in the community is really going to miss like hearing her play and seeing her outside in the mornings," said Callie Bennet, who also lives nearby.
The neighbors are now looking for ways to help the family get through this horrific time.
“Honestly, it's just what we as a community can do to rally around the family. I think, like, in any circumstance with a tragedy like this, you want to help, but it’s not like anything we can really do is going to bring their kid back. And so, just like wanting to get the community together so we can do whatever we can to have time to grieve, and they don’t also have to worry about putting their house back together," Bennet said.
The acting superintendent of Norwich Public Schools released a statement Wednesday morning confirming that the 7-year-old was a community member. The district is offering grief counseling to students, staff, and families impacted by the tragedy.
"This heartbreaking event has left many of us in shock and mourning. In these challenging times, it is crucial that we come together to support one another. We understand that this news can be difficult to process, and we want to ensure that everyone has access to the support they may need," Acting Superintendent Susan Lessard said.
The Norwich Board of Education is also teaming up with Norwich Police and the Norwich Fire Department for a donation drive to help the family replenish some items after they lost almost all of their possessions in the fire.
Police said the Red Cross, Norwich Human Services, and the City Manager's Office are also helping the family find a way to recover.
Donations can be dropped off at the Norwich Board of Education Central Office at 90 Town St. between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. There will also be a collection point at the Norwich Police Department at 70 Thames St. at any time of the day.
“If we can get clothing items, personal items, stuff for the kids, to try and give them some sense of normalcy back that’s something we as a community would like to do for the family,” Norwich Police Lt. Scott Meikle said.
See the below post for more information on how you can help:
The overall message of love and support in a time of tragedy is what neighbors said truly matters.
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Sean Humphrey is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at shumphrey@fox61.com
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