Fire kills five children at Pennsylvania daycare centre

'We are all at a loss, trying to figure out how this happened,' says grandmother to four of the five children killed in daycare fire

An overnight daycare centre in Pennsylvania was engulfed in an early morning fire on Sunday, killing five children and sending the owner of the centre to the hospital, according to officials.

The Erie Fire Department responded to calls about the fire at 1:15 am local time on Sunday morning, the Erie Times-News reported. Firefighters reportedly arrived to raging flames and smoke funnelling out of every window on the first floor of the three-floor structure.

The fire was believed to have started in the front living room of the residential house that had been converted into a daycare centre. The centre provided overnight services for children whose parents worked late hours, according to the Associated Press.

Just one smoke detector was discovered inside the centre’s attic, Erie Chief Fire Inspector John Widomski said in a statement on Sunday. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

At least four of the child victims who had been staying overnight as their parents worked were members of the same family. Their grandmother, Valeri Lockett-Slupski, told the Erie-Times News the family had used the centre for almost a year.

“So we are all at a loss, trying to figure out how this happened,” she said.

The Harris Family Daycare, which is listed at the address of the fire, is reportedly described as “a 24 hour, 7 days a week childcare service including holidays,” according to the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership.

The centre was listed as having “ashes and cigarette or cigar butts” in “a child care space, play space or food preparation area” in an inspection notice by the state’s Department of Human Services Office earlier this year, the Associated Press reported.

A response from the centre read: “I will make sure it will be cleaned up and remain that way.”

The owner of the daycare centre was in stable condition after being flown to the UPMC Mercy hospital for treatment, according to police officials.

The victims reportedly range in ages from eight months to seven years old, the police chief said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report