4 children and their father killed in Pennsylvania house fire

Authorities in Pennsylvania said they are still trying to determine the cause of a house fire that killed four children and their father on Tuesday night.

The deadly conflagration burned for more than two and a half hours on a small street in the city of Jeannette, about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. The blaze scorched nearby cars and a neighboring house, Westmoreland County coroner Tim Carson said.

Police and fire teams arrived on the scene shortly after a 911 call was placed at midnight. They rescued a mother and her two children — 10 and 1 years old — from the home, who are currently being treated at hospitals in Pittsburgh. The severity of their injuries is still unclear, said Carson.

The five deceased, whose bodies have been recovered from the home, include a 27-year-old father, his 1 month old baby, and three children, aged 7, 6, and 3. Carson said they all died of smoke inhalation. No other individuals were found in the home.

Fire teams took around an hour and a half to suppress the fire, Carson estimated. During that time, one fireman sustained non life-threatening injuries.