2 children die in Pensacola house fire

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - A fire at a home on Gregory Street ended the lives of two little girls.

People who knew the girls said they were always smiling.

"(They were) beautiful and very loving. They were just very beautiful," said Tamasha Williams, a close friend of the victims.

Te'Laysia Jackson, 8, and Te'Sjohnna Sanford, 10, were inside the home with their mother and her boyfriend.

Officials said the blaze began in the girls' bedroom around 1:30 a. m.

That's also when their mother's boyfriend realized something was wrong.

"He smelled the smoke and when he went to check out what was going on, the room was already engulfed in flames," said David Sanford, the victims' grandfather.

The mother and boyfriend escaped the house. They then tried to rescue the children through their bedroom window but it was too late.

Stephen Sheehan who lives nearby also tried to help rescue the little girls.

"It looked like hell. It looked like I walked up to hell and I had no chance. You know your adrenaline's pumping and you want to do anything you can to help but it was just unstoppable," Sheehan said.

Sheehan said the girls had become close friends with his daughter.

"They always liked to ride their bikes, they loved to draw and color with my daughter. They always use to set up lemonade stands on the corner. They just had immaculate personalities." Sheehan said.

A makeshift memorial of stuffed animals placed in front of the home by children around the area is just one small example of just how loved these girls were throughout the community.

Annie Roberts is the little girls' aunt. She said she's devastated by the loss of her nieces.

"Everybody cared about them in the neighborhood. I think everyone shares the same sentiments. They're going to be missed, they really are," Roberts said.

David Sanford said he needs to stay strong for the family.

"The kids will be missed, but they're in heaven now. They don't have to suffer anything, they're in heaven," Sanford said.

The Red Cross was on the scene this morning and is assisting the family with their needs.

Officials said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.