The scene of the triple fatal fire that killed a woman and two young children. 

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

The victims of a fast-moving overnight house fire on North Hope Street that killed two young siblings and their mom’s cousin in North Philadelphia have been identified, Philadelphia police announced.

Police and the Philadelphia Fire Department were called to a home on the 3400 block of North Hope Street for reports of people trapped inside at approximately 12:55 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18, according to Officer Tanya Little of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Public Affairs Unit.

Fire crews found an active fire in the kitchen area, and a 46-year-old woman, later identified as Nidre Annette Ayala, unresponsive on the stairs leading to the second floor, police said. She was rushed to Temple University Hospital in critical condition with significant burns and was pronounced dead at 5:11 a.m., according to the release.

Two children, 6-year-old Kataleya Garcia and her 5-year-old brother, Sebastian Rodriguez-DeJesus, were found unresponsive with severe burns in an upstairs bedroom, police said. They were taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, where they were later pronounced dead.

The Fire Department searched the property and found no additional occupants, police said. Fire officials reported no initial indication of arson, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Fire Chief Frank Hannan said firefighters arrived within four minutes of the first 911 calls to find heavy smoke conditions, with the fire believed to have started on the first floor and extended to the second floor. Officials also said there were no working smoke detectors inside the home.

“I most certainly want to remind everyone the importance of having working smoke alarms in your home. They give you that early warning, that advance notification. If you do not have working smoke alarms, please call 311 and we will come out and install them for you,” the fire commissioner said.

In a Facebook post, the Philadelphia Fire Department added, “Our hearts are with the neighbors in North Philadelphia today after a devastating overnight fire. Thank you to our brave members for your tireless work, and thank you to our partners for your support.”

Details about the victims lives were not immediately available. Loved ones are invited to share information with Daily Voice by emailing jpikora@dailyvoice.com.