BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Five children have now died and their grandmother remains hospitalized after a two-alarm house fire that took place just after 7:30 a.m. Saturday at 207 Dartmouth Ave. in Buffalo, according to city officials.
Buffalo Fire Department officials announced three deceased children, females aged 7, 8 and 10, had died in the fire on Saturday. In a release Monday, city officials confirmed that two other children, a 4-year-old female and a 2-year-old male, had also died after being taken to Oishei Children’s Hospital.
Officials released their names on Wednesday:
- Aniyah Green, 10
- Joelle Liggans, 8
- Jalissa Liggans, 7
- Denise Keith, 4
- Nehemiah Robinson, 2
Their 63-year-old grandmother was taken to ECMC and remains in critical condition with second-degree burns to her body.
A 7-month-old female infant was taken to Oisehi Children’s Hospital on Saturday and has since been released.
Buffalo Fire officials say that five of the children were in cardiac arrest when they arrived at the scene of the blaze. The grandmother was able to bring the infant outside of the burning home.
One of the children was the first to be alerted of the fire after smoke alarms began to go off and she woke up the grandmother, who was still asleep, according to officials. The grandmother and her husband are the primary guardians of all six children.
The fire is estimated to have done roughly $150,000 in damage, and Buffalo Fire investigators have ruled its cause accidental. Officials say the blaze originated in the home’s first-floor dining room.
Cornerstone Church Ministries will start taking donations on Wednesday for food, clothes and more in support of the family. The drop-off is scheduled for between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. at 410 East St. in Buffalo.
To donate to the family of the Dartmouth Avenue fire, click here.
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Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here.