2 children killed in Pensacola house fire

Two young sisters died in a fire early this morning at a home on West Gregory Street in Pensacola.

The girls' mother and stepfather were unable to save the children, ages 8 and 10. They are in the third and fourth grade, respectively, at Global Learning Academy.

The fire originated in the girls' bedroom, Lt. Kevin Fiedor with the fire marshal's office said this morning.

The girls have a brother, a fourth-grader at the Global Learning Academy, who was not home at the time of the fire.

There was nothing suspicious about the fire, Fiedor said.

The Pensacola Fire Department was called to 2019 W. Gregory St. at 1:36 a.m., and the first truck arrived at 1:41 a.m. to find the structure fully engulfed, according to a press release from Pensacola Fire Marshal David E. Allen. One firefighter suffered a shoulder injury while fighting the fire.

Two adults and two children were in the home. The stepfather tried to get into the girls' bedroom, but the flames were too hot.

Jimmie Simmons, 33, who lives in the house just west of the house destroyed by fire, said the heat was too intense and the smoke too thick to save the children.

"The boyfriend was running in and out of the house trying to save them," Simmons said, adding the girls were not responding to calls.

The girls were students at Global Learning Academy, 100 North P St.

Norm Ross, assistant superintendent at the district, said his visit to the school this morning was difficult. He said that he has spoken with a relative of the girls and conveyed to the family his and the district’s sympathies.

“I can’t imagine what the parents are going through,” Ross said. “Our prayers and well wishes go out to the family.”

In addition to the school’s regular complement of guidance counselors, specially trained grief counselors have been brought in to help the school’s 825 students deal with the tragedy.

“There are students who obviously were having some difficulties and that’s to be expected. It’s quiet (at the school this morning). “(But) my experience is that kids have a little more resiliency than we sometimes give them credit for.

“An old guy like me, I have a difficult time with this. Today will not be a good day.”

The Red Cross is assisting the family.

The state and Pensacola Fire Marshal's offices are investigating.