Christiana-area fire sends two children to the hospital

A fire engulfed a home early Saturday morning in the Coventry neighborhood near Christiana, sending two children to the hospital with minor cases of smoke inhalation, said emergency responders.

Crews from the Christiana Fire Company, Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder Company and New Castle County Emergency Medical Services responded to the blaze just before 1 a.m. 

"Crews arrived ... to find heavy fire," Richard Perillo, chief of the Christiana Fire Company, said in a statement. "The occupants were able to flee the home before conditions worsened." 

The structure, located on the unit block of Bradbury Road, was enveloped in flames before the fire was brought under control about an hour after firefighters arrived, Perillo said. Crews remained in the neighborhood, lined with modest single-story homes, through the morning.

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Four adults and two girls living in the home were able to escape the burning structure. The Red Cross will help them find shelter, Perillo said.

The two children were treated on the scene for minor smoke inhalation, and then taken by ambulance to Christiana Hospital, said Sgt. Abigail Haas with the New Castle County Paramedics.

The fire also destroyed a car parked in the driveway at the home.

Contact Karl Baker at kbaker@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2329. Follow him on Twitter @kbaker6.