The fire broke out in the third-floor apartment around 5:05 a.m. Friday on Gates Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Citizen App captured video of the firefighting efforts at the scene. Firefighters were able to quickly put out the flames.
Danielle Havens 48, and her two daughters Journee Miles 11, and Kelsee Miles 9, were pulled from the apartment by firefighters.
The victims suffered some burns, and smoke inhalation, and were not breathing, officials said. CPR and other life-saving measures were taken but were all unsuccessful.
Havens and her daughters were transported to Woodhull Medical Center where they were pronounced dead.
Three others were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
FDNY fire marshals determined the fire started in the kitchen and said there was no smoke alarm present in the apartment.
"Cooking carelessness" caused deadly Brooklyn fire
Officials said something was left cooking when the family fell asleep.
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said units were on the scene within three minutes, but that the fire was "very advanced" in the kitchen of the apartment.
FDNY Chief Sarrocco said firefighters "passed the fire to get to the rear bedrooms," where the victims were found.
Kavanagh said there was a hard-wired smoke alarm in the unit, but they will be investigating whether it was working or not.
Mayor Eric Adams toured the scene of the fire with officials later Friday morning.
Amanda Oliver found out on Friday that she lost her best friend, Journee.
"I was on the phone with her yesterday so it really kind of shocked me," Oliver said.
Amanda and her mother paid their respects outside the Gates Avenue building.
"Even though we're not family, that blood family, we're family because we've known each other for years," Eulalee Oliver said. "From when the kids were like in Kindergarten. I will miss them very much."
Eyewitness News was told that grief counselors will be at Amanda's school on Monday working with the children as they grieve the loss of their classmates.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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