The children’s father Joseph and two of their teenage children – Shlat, 16, and 15-year-old Daniel – remain in a critical condition in hospital, AP reported.
A sixth child, 13-year-old Avraham Azan, and a cousin who was sleeping over made it out alive.
“So often, tragedy strikes at this time of year, and the holidays make it that much more difficult because our communities should be celebrating, not mourning,” fire commissioner Daniel Nigro said.
The father was “severely burned trying to get back to save the rest of his family, the ones he didn’t already save. We believe that he acted very courageously and tried desperately,” he added.
“Hopefully it didn’t cost his life also, but it may.”
