BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A father of three was killed after saving his 9-year-old daughter from a burning building Friday morning.
The two-alarm house fire happened at Litchfield and Humber Avenues in Buffalo.
The three children were all injured during the fire.
The nine-year-old was taken to Women and Children’s Hospital after suffering severe burns to 90 percent of her body. She was then taken to Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Cincinnati, Ohio — a facility that the American Burn Association says meets the “highest standards of burn care.”
The child is in critical condition.
A four-year-old and a two-year-old were also taken to Women and Children’s Hospital. The four-year-old is being treated for smoke inhalation and is in stable condition.
The two-year-old is said to be in good shape. The children’s mother went with them to Women and Children’s Hospital, but was not injured.
Two firefighters suffered minor burns and were taken to ECMC.
Witnesses say the family of five had just moved into the downstairs portion of the building one week prior to the fire.
Another man and a person whom witnesses say was his uncle lived upstairs in the 2.5 story building. The uncle was killed in the fire.
Numerous fire trucks were on the scene trying to put out the flames after the 4 a.m. blaze began. The house is located near ECMC.
There is severe damage to the building, but firefighters do not know what started it.
They believe the blaze started on the first floor in the kitchen area. In all, the damage costs added up to $150,000.
Later in the morning, fire officials said they were waiting on an excavator to come in and investigate the scene. The house is too unstable for officials to go in before that.
The American Red Cross is helping the families affected.
Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield spoke to News 4 shortly after 6 a.m.
A witness at the scene appeared angry as a result of the fire, saying, “People lost their lives because of these slum landlords out here.”
The owner of the Humber Avenue home, Sayara Uddin, lives in New York City. News 4 spoke with a resident of Bailey Avenue who said conditions in the home were terrible.
The resident claims there were problems with hot water and basement flooding. In addition, the Bailey Ave. resident also said the front door did not close properly.
Despite this, the Buffalo Housing Court says there was no record of housing violations at the address.
Masten District Councilman Ulysses Wingo, Sr. says the Masten District Office is taking calls to organize a database of contact information for people, churches and other organizations wishing to donate to the downstairs family.
The City of Buffalo Common Council can be reached at (716) 851-5145.
