Cause sought for fire that killed 6 children

FORT EDWARD, N.Y. - As a lethal fire intensified, a woman shoved an air conditioner out a window, then threw a 5-year-old boy out after it to safety, even as the blaze devoured a two-story house, killing six children.

Two other adults tried in vain to rescue the children trapped inside the blazing building in the Hudson River town 45 miles north of Albany.

Firefighters who raced to the house within four minutes of the call Saturday morning were repelled by intense flames that engulfed the building.

"Everything was just fire," said Bill Brown, first assistant chief of the Fort Edward Fire Department. "Top floor, bottom floor. I wasn't risking any of my guys' lives and putting them in danger to save someone who was probably already gone."

Five children in upstairs bedrooms and one in a downstairs bedroom died of smoke inhalation. The youngest, identified by family members as Abigail Smith, turned 1 on Thursday.

Five people, four adults and the boy, identified by family members as Noah Bosford, 5, survived. Noah was staying at the house with his father and his father's girlfriend who was the woman who threw him to safety.

Lewis Carl Smith Sr., the father of five of the children who died, and Samantha Cox, the mother of 8-year-old victim Paige Cox, were injured trying to rescue the kids. Samantha Cox was in critical condition in Westchester County Medical Center.

Paige's stepmother, Rhoda Cox, said the little girl with blond hair and a big smile grew her hair long every year and donated the clippings to Locks Of Love. "She had a very huge heart," she said.

Fire investigators scoured the charred wreckage yesterday for clues to a blaze. It could take several days to determine the cause. Investigators were still trying to figure out how many people lived in the house.

Washington County Director of Public Safety William Cook said investigators believe the blaze started in the living room on the first floor. They do not suspect foul play.

Florence Palazzo told The Associated Press that two of her daughters, Hope Palazzo-Smith, 12, and Mackenzie Palazzo-Smith, 6, died in the fire. The others who died were identified as Lewis Carl Smith Jr., age 7 or 8; and Emillie Smith, 3.

Lewis Carl Smith Sr. and girlfriend Samantha Cox were in a first-floor bedroom when the fire broke out.

Donna Layton, the aunt of the elder Smith, said she spoke to him on the phone from the hospital.

"He could hear the kids screaming to him, 'Daddy, help me!' " said Layton. "It's got to be terrifying to see your kids and not be able to help them."