4 children dead in Tyler County mobile home fire

SPURGER, TX (KTRK) -- Four children between the ages of 4 and 8 died in mobile home fire in East Texas, according to the Tyler County Sheriff's Office.

The fire happened around 2:30am on County Road 4547 in the Spurger area on the east side of the county. Family members have identified the children who died as Dycin, Koltyn, Kyi'Leigh and Haven Loftin. The parents are Amanda and Jimmy Loftin and the surviving children are Thomas and Kayann Loftin.

"They were all asleep. And it started in a different room of the house," the children's great aunt Kathy Marshall. "Amanda said they woke up because of the heat. They were hot."

The mother and father along with a 2-year-old and a 5-month-old baby were able to escape the fire. But the other four kids were still inside.

"Jimmy frantically tried to do what he could to get to the children," Marshall said. "He busted a window out. And when he busted the window out the fire came through severely burning his face has hands and his back."

When deputies and firefighters arrived at the home, it was too late; the four children were found dead inside.

Authorities say the mother and both children were sent to the Tyler County Hospital for smoke inhalation and minor burn treatment. The father refused treatment at the scene.

"It's not something you see every day. It's tough on everybody," Weatherford said. "Something like that is very traumatic, of course, for the family. But we forget how this affects the first responders."

"You need to hug your love ones now. You don't know what tomorrow holds," Marshall said.

Texas State fire marshals, as well as an electrical engineer from Houston, are on scene investigating what caused the fire. However, they do not suspect foul play is involved.

The American Red Cross is assisting the family.

In a release, Tyler County Sheriff Bryan Weatherford made this statement, "This is a sad day for all of Tyler County."

Counselors will be available for Spurger ISD students, as well as for volunteer fire personnel.

If you'd like to help the family, visit their GoFundMe page for more information.

The Associated Press contributed to this report