Heartbreaking photos show the moment devastated family members try to fight back tears as they set up a memorial for the victims of an early morning Chicago fire.
Amber Ayala and Marcos Contreras shared photos of their siblings who perished in the fire Sunday morning.
Ayala and Contreras couldn’t hold back their tears as they described how their siblings and cousins were at a sleepover when the Little Village apartment caught on fire.
Three-month-old Maya Almaraz, five-year-old Ariel Garcia, three-year-old Alanni Ayala, five-year-old Gialanni Ayala, 11-year-old Xavier Contreras, 13-year-old Nathan Contreras, 10-year-old Giovanni Ayala, 10-year-old and 16-year-old Victor Mendoza, were identified as the eight children killed in the blaze.
Chicago police said an adult and one child, Cesar Contreras, 14, were taken to the hospital in very critical condition after suffering from smoke inhalation.
Marcos Contreras (left) and his sister Amber Ayala mourn the loss of their siblings who were killed in an early-morning fire in the Little Village neighborhood
Ayala and Marcos Contreras shared photos of their siblings who perished in the fire Sunday morning
From bottom, l-r, are Ariel Garcia, five, Xavier Contreras, 11, Nathan Contreras, 13, their mother and Cesar Contreras, 14. Ariel, Xavier and Nathan, along with their three-month-old baby sister, Maya Almaraz, seen in the top photo, were all killed in the fire. Cesar is in the hospital in critical condition
Jessie Cobos leaned over a cross as he watched a local resident write the names of the victims who perished in the fire.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Cobos was a caretaker of Giovanni, Gialanni, and Alanni.
‘I got a phone call stating that there was a fire on this block and the pastor wanted me to come pray for the family,’ he said.
‘I never knew I was going to come pray for my own kids,’ he told the newspaper.
Another photo shows Cobos clutching a tiny Mickey Mouse plush toy as he tried to fight back his tears.
‘Anything could happen from one minute or the next. If I could only go back to last night and give my kids one more hug, let them know that they are loved.’
Jessie Cobos (right) leaned over a cross as he watched a local resident write the names of the victims who perished in the fire
According to the Chicago Tribune, Cobos was a caretaker of Giovanni, Gialanni, and Alanni. ‘I got a phone call stating that there was a fire on this block and the pastor wanted me to come pray for the family,’ he said
Mourners surround Cobos and a wooden cross that holds the names of six of the eight victims
Another photo shows Cobos (right) clutching a tiny Mickey Mouse plush toy as he tried to fight back his tears
Cobos is seen writing the name of a victim on a white wooden cross, which will serve as a memorial outside a home in the Little Village neighborhood
The fire tore through the home in Chicago Sunday morning.
A dog was also killed in the fire, while a firefighter was hospitalized in good condition.
The cause of the fire has not been determined but no smoke detectors were found in the home, officials said.
A group of people were gathered outside the hospital, waiting for news of their loved ones, when they were told about the fatalities.
‘I can’t live without my babies,’ one woman cried.
A memorial to victims rests on the sidewalk near the home where eight people perished, including six children, in an early-morning fire. Two additional victims of the fire remain in the hospital in critical condition
The fire tore through the home in Chicago Sunday morning. A dog was also killed in the fire, while a firefighter was hospitalized in good condition
The cause of the fire has not been determined but no smoke detectors were found in the home, officials said
Commissioner José Santiago said the city has not had ‘this amount of fatalities and injuries in one location’ for ‘many, many years’
Commissioner José Santiago said the city has not had ‘this amount of fatalities and injuries in one location’ for ‘many, many years’.
The fire started on the second floor of the building. The first floor was vacant.
Firefighters were called to the West Side building just before 4am and the fire was put out by 5.10am.
Those who were killed and injured were all transported to the hospital from the same residence.
Santiago revealed the fire could have taken even more lives if it wasn’t for one quick-thinking woman who lived nearby.
‘She had just gotten home from work. She smelled it. I think she saw it,’ he said.
‘And then she started immediately knocking on doors, ringing doorbells,’ Santiago added.
Santiago said the woman ‘saved a lot of lives’ amid the horrific tragedy.
Chicago firefighters walk under tape at the scene of the fire on Sunday morning. Firefighters were called to the West Side building just before 4am and the fire was out by 5.10am
People carry items away from the scene of the fire. The fire also caused another structure two buildings down to catch alight
American Red Cross workers remain at the scene after a fire tore through the West Side building on Sunday
People stand around at the scene of the fire on Sunday morning. Those who were killed and injured were all transported to the hospital from the same residence
The building failed its last inspection in June due to electrical issues, according to the Building Department website.
The fire also caused another structure two buildings down to catch on fire. No injuries were reported in that building.
Red Cross workers were at the scene of the tragedy to provide support and hand out food and drinks to the grieving community.
Celena Roldan, the Chief Executive Officer for the Red Cross in Chicago and Northern Illinois, said the organization would provide mental health support and help the affected families find financial assistance.
It will also help organize funerals and community memorials in the next few weeks.
The Red Cross will work with the fire department to help install smoke alarms in the area.