4 children hospitalized after West Chester apartment fire

Four children were taken to the hospital after a fire broke out at a West Chester apartment. ROB PIEPER/WCPO

Four children were taken to the hospital after a fire broke out at a West Chester apartment. ROB PIEPER/WCPO

WEST CHESTER TWP. — Four children have been taken to the hospital due to an apartment fire, the West Chester Fire Chief Rick Prinz said.

Fire crews responded to 5259 Aster Park Drive for reports of a fire around 12:20 p.m. Saturday. Crews found smoke coming from the door and windows of the apartment.

Four children were brought outside and received life support measures, Prinz said. One of the four wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse. The other three were having a very difficult time breathing.

A 5-month-old and 5-year-old were taken to West Chester Hospital, and the 5-year-old was on a ventilator, per Prinz.

An 8-year-old and a 1-year-old were taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s Liberty campus, where the 8-year-old was on a ventilator and the 1-year-old was receiving CPR at the time, Prinz said.

Just after 2 p.m., West Chester Fire said all four children — while in critical condition — currently have pulses and are breathing, and they are bring transported downtown to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Prinz said the mother of the children is at the hospital now.

Prinz didn’t specify if any adults were home at the time of the fire.

It is also unknown what started the fire as the fire remains under investigation.

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