3 Toddlers Die in N.C. House Fire Despite Officials' Rapid Response to Teen's Call For Help

Three toddlers were found dead in a home that caught fire Monday morning in North Carolina, according to officials.

Greensboro Fire Department Deputy Chief Dwayne Church said first responders arrived at the scene on Grimsley Street around 8 a.m., just four minutes after receiving a call about a house fire, according to FOX affiliate WGHP and NBC affiliate WXII-TV.

Danny Nguyen, 13, who lives behind the home, made the call upon spotting the blaze while preparing for school, CBS affiliate WFMY-TV reported.

"I looked outside from the bathroom window and I saw fire and it was all smoking," Nguyen said.

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Firefighters were able to quickly knock down the flames and enter the home, but were unable to save the children trapped inside, WFMY reported.

The toddlers, found in a bedroom, were pulled out through a window, but did not survive, per the report.

The children killed were a 3-year-old and a set of 1-year-old twins, according to WGHP.

"This is devastating to the Fire Department, devastating to the community and this family," Church said, the station reported.

"For some of our firefighters, this is the first time they've seen anything like this," he added.

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The children's mother was transported to Cone Health in Greensboro and is expected to recover, Church said, according to WFMY.

"I can't imagine what the family's going through, and I would ask the viewers to keep the family in your thoughts and prayers," the fire official told reporters on Monday, per WXII.

Greensboro City Councilwoman Sharon Hightower said the news is especially hard to hear as the holidays approach.

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"We're right near around a holiday season which should be a time of joy, but right now, it's just so much sadness surrounding this situation," Hightower said, according to WXII.

Investigators are reportedly looking into what caused the fire. The medical examiner has yet to announce an official cause of death for the children killed in the blaze.