PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — A housefire killed three people, including two young children in Montclair early Friday morning.
Crews with the Prince William County Fire Department responded to several 911 calls about a house on fire on the 15700 block of Piedmont Place at around 5:50 a.m. Upon arrival, firefighters found the house engulfed in flames.
"The initial calls were coming from concerned neighbors. This is a bedroom community, and people were going to work and began to notice the fire and called 911," said Battalion Chief & Deputy Fire Marshal, Tom Jarman.
Other neighbors were shocked to see a home in their community engulfed in flames.
“Just the smell—I thought it was fog, but just the smell of it was just unbelievable,” recalled Wanita Thomas, who lives nearby.
Family members tell WUSA9 a mother and her two young sons were not able to escape the fire.
Police identified the victims as 49-year-old Sameena Begum and two boys, ages 8 and 13. Their bodies were found inside the home. Officials confirmed that other people who lived in the basement of the house were able to evacuate safely.
Fire department officials say the physical investigation can begin when the house is stable. The roof completely collapsed, and the second floor partially collapsed into the first floor.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Fire officials confirmed the home did have working smoke detectors.
The ATF has been called in to assist in the investigation. Prince William County Fire says the agency is brought in to provide support when fatalities occur during fires.
The Red Cross was also on scene Friday to assist.