4 Children Killed, 2 Adults Badly Burned in House Fire

Four children died and a mother and grandmother were severely burned in a house fire Wednesday, officials said.

A smoke detector alerted the grandfather, who was able to rescue his wife but could not reach the children, officials said.

Victoria Pinard, 8, died at the scene, said San Bernardino County Deputy Coroner Carl Morrow. Ashley Pinard, 3; Ryan Rubacalva, 2, and Jessica Rubacalva, 8 months, died at area hospitals, Morrow said. Autopsies on the children were scheduled.

The mother and grandmother of Ashley, Ryan and Jessica were severely burned. Andrea Pinard, 21, and Nancy Pinard, whose age was unavailable, were hospitalized, authorities said. Andrea Pinard was rescued by firefighters.

It was not known how Victoria was related to the other three children or the adults, fire and coroner’s officials said.

Flames had engulfed the small home when firefighters arrived about 4 a.m. Neighbors awakened by screams grabbed garden hoses in an attempt to extinguish the blaze, but it quickly enveloped the home and there was no chance to rescue the children.

“I looked out the window and all the back of the house was on fire,” neighbor Randy Mendoza said. “I ran out the back door and got the garden hose and started squirting water all over the house. But the house was burning too fast.”

The cause of the fire was under investigation by the Central Valley Fire District. Fontana is about 45 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, just west of the city of San Bernardino.