A house fire early Friday killed a woman and her three young children, but six other people managed to escape, a fire official said.
Two firefighters were treated for burns. The identities of the 18-year-old mother and her children were not immediately released.
The youngest child was 2 weeks old and the others were 1 and 2 years old, said Doug Smith, a battalion chief for the Columbus fire department.
"They were all in one room upstairs on the second floor," Smith said. "This is one of our nightmares here is to come on the scene and have this many people trapped.
"
Ten people were inside when the fire started and six escaped on their own, Smith said. They tried to rush back inside to try to save the others, but firefighters stopped them, he said.
"We sent firefighters in to do the best they could," Smith said.
Two firefighters were injured and taken to Ohio State University Medical Center, Smith said. One was burned on the back and the other on the face, but the burns weren't serious, he said.
Authorities did not know the cause of the fire, which was reported about 5:30 a.
m.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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