2 children killed, 4 more injured in deadly Staten Island fire 

A pair of five-year-old twins were killed and four of their siblings were injured after their Staten Island house caught on fire two days before Christmas, authorities reported on Friday. 

The fire broke out at around 10:20 a.m. at the semi-attached home on Van Duzer Street near Vanderbilt Avenue in Fox Hills, leaving the children trapped on the second floor of the home, according to the New York Police Department and New York Fire Department. 

The twins, a five-year-old boy and girl, died in the fire. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene, while the boy was rushed to Staten Island University Hospital North, where he died from his injuries. 

At 1018 call came reporting fire at 1048 Van Duzer St on SI. #fdny arrived to fire & reports of kids trapped on 2nd floor. Members put out fire, rescued victims. 8 total patients from fire. 2 deceased children, two kids crit condition,2 teens minor injuries,1 FF w minor injuries pic.twitter.com/eoXLTE6OS1

— FDNY (@FDNY) December 23, 2022

“We had presents in the basement,” said their crying eldest brother, Xavier Vanable, 26, who was told to rush home from work. 

“These children were joyful at the heart, and they always played around,” Vanable said. “They loved school. I always wanted them to be the best they can be.” 

The mother, who wasn’t at home at the time the fire started, collapsed when she returned to her burned house. She was taken to the hospital in shock but “is in stable condition,” reported FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. 

“This is an incredible tragedy,” Kavanagh told reporters. “Upon arrival, there was heavy fire and reports of children trapped on the second floor.”

All of the victims were found unconscious after the fire was extinguished. In addition to the twins, four other siblings were injured. Two young boys were hospitalized in critical condition and a 12-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy sustained minor injuries.  

"Our hearts are broken for the young lives we lost on Staten Island today," New York City Mayor Eric Adams tweeted Friday afternoon. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. 

Our hearts are broken for the young lives we lost on Staten Island today. The cause of this fire is still under investigation. @FDNY Commissioner Kavanagh said it best: this city is a family, and we will be there for this family in the days ahead.https://t.co/UpYfZf1A6g

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) December 23, 2022