State fire marshal investigators are working to pinpoint what caused a deadly fire in Bridgeport Sunday that killed three children.

Monday's downpour didn't help investigators as they sorted through debris at the tragic scene on Main Street.

"Right now, (the) state fire marshal is on scene. They're beginning the initial phases of their investigation, and we're working with them today (to) see what we can come up with," said Assistant Fire Chief Mel Roth, of the Bridgeport Volunteer Fire Department.

One witness told NEWS9 the mother came out with severe burns screaming "my babies" – who were ages 2, 4 and 5. The children's parents are fighting for their own lives on ventilators at a Pittsburgh hospital.

Firefighters said it took hours to put out the blaze because they faced a number of challenges along with a rescue attempt, multiple floors and three roofs. Martins Ferry and Brookside fire departments were called in to assist at the fire.

"The fire itself was very difficult just due to the construction of the building, the age of the building," said Roth.

Firefighters are dealing with the loss of lives.

"We have in place a debriefing team that's debriefing those who were on scene. And we'll be conducting followups with that. They were on scene yesterday," said Roth. "Unfortunately, it is a tragic loss."

At this point, it's unclear what started the fire.

If you would like to donate to the family, visit the Wilson funeral home on National Road in Bridgeport. Relatives said anything given is appreciated.

Meanwhile, concerns surfaced about fire safety following the deadly fire as Belmont County fire officials said they've been getting several calls from residents.

"Walk through, practice, and do drills on how to get out of the structure in case there is a fire. We need to have two ways out of every room in our house," said Allan Ketzell, president of the Belmont County Squad Officers Association, who discussed the importance of an escape plan.

Having a functioning smoke detector is also vital. According to the National Fire Protection Association, two-thirds of homes don't have one that works. Investigators will look for that and other signs in the fatal fire.
"We want to install them as high as possible. We want to test them monthly, (and) we want to change the batteries every time we change our clocks," said Ketzell. "If we find a problem with them, we want to replace the battery."

It's unclear where the children were found inside in the building, but Ketzell said if someone can't get out of a main exit then plan another escape route.
"Go to the window. When the fire department comes up, we walk around the structure to check and see if anybody's hanging out a window or anything. This way, we would quickly and efficiently get them down," said Ketzell.

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