66 Liberty Street, Oswego
/ Jessica Cain
OSWEGO -- Fire crews in Oswego will spend the day tearing down what's left of a home destroyed overnight by fire.
The flames sparked up sometime after 2 a.m. at a home at 66 Liberty Street.
Fire investigators say 16 people were inside including five adults and eleven children.
We're told a 3-year-old girl suffered minor smoke inhalation and was taken to a Syracuse hospital as a precaution. Two adults were treated for burns.
Timothy Bristol says he was treated for burns on his hands, head, and back. He lived in the house with his fiancee, Sylvia Gates, and their children. He says he ran back in the house to help rescue children.
"I went in through the back door," says Bristol. "That's when I pulled out (Gates') son and my son. That's when I burned my head because flames were rolling across the ceiling."
Bristol and Gates say they lost everything.
"My kids' things I've collected over the years since they've been babies, expensive stands, TVs, a Wii, I can't get anything," says Gates. "It's all gone."
Right now, the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the Fire Chief tells CNYCentral it may have been set accidentally in the kitchen area of the home.
The house is a total loss, and firefighters say it's posing a threat to the neighboring property. Because of the danger, they are demolishing what's left of the house. They hope to have that done by the end of the day.
Meanwhile, the American Red Cross is assisting the 16 people displaced by the fire. They are working to provide them with food, clothing and accommodations.
