A toddler and a woman have died and multiple people have been injured in a “hellish” house fire in Ohio, it’s been reported.
On Sunday, March 9 at around 1 p.m. local time, the Cincinnati Fire Department responded to reports of a blaze at 773 Summit Avenue in the city’s Price Hill neighborhood, per CBS-affiliated station WKRC.
The outlet reported that the fire chief described the scene as “hellish,” stating that some residents had suffered injuries while jumping from the windows in an attempt to escape the blaze.
Firefighters found “heavy fire” on the first two floors of the three-story, two-family home, per the station. CBS News stated that officers had received several 911 calls regarding the blaze.
The outlet reported that 10 people, whose ages ranged from 3 months to 48 years old, had been injured and were being treated at the hospital, citing the fire department.
A female adult and a boy died in the fire, per WKRC. The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Nyla Harrow, 21 and Jayceon McGee, 2, in an email to PEOPLE on Tuesday, March 11.
Firefighters attempted to rescue the missing individuals and “mounted a heroic attempt to search” for them, but “were ultimately forced out of the building as the fire grew,” per CBS News, citing a fire department statement.
It took the team two hours to get the blaze under control after they managed to fight the fire from the outside of the property, the outlet reported. They found the two victims’ bodies several hours later.
Cincinnati Fire Department (CFD).
Andrew Cenci/Bloomberg via Getty
“While an initial assessment shows the cause was most likely accidental, the cause of the fire remains under investigation,” the fire department said, per CBS News. Among the 10 taken to hospital were seven children, according to WKRC.
WKRC reported that dozens of friends and family members had since gathered to pay tribute to the victims, holding a balloon release.
Howard Curtis, whose stepdaughter Harrow died in the tragedy, told the crowd, “What I do on the count of three, I want everybody to say ‘I love,’ alright, really, this is what it’s all about; it’s about love, you all coming out here because you are showing us love for our losses. On the count of three, say ‘I love,’ one, two, three, ‘I love,’ ” the outlet said in an Instagram post.
“I want everybody to say a prayer for them tonight and make everything right for everybody, and I’m glad that everybody came here and you all showed love to my babies, my grandbabies,” another family member said, per the station.
The Cincinnati Fire Department and the Cincinnati Police Department didn’t immediately respond after being contacted for additional information.
