St. Paul firefighters experience roller coaster of emotions after rescuing mother and 6 children from fire

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Sixty-three firefighters responded to a fire in the 1200 block of Arkwright Street in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood early Wednesday morning. And St. Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks says a blaze like this can take an emotional toll on each and every one of them.

"I don't say this word very often, but it's really heroic what they did. To have seven total victims that were rescued, it is rare. I've been doing this for 30 years, and I've never responded to something like this," said Inks.

The fire department says the first engine was on the scene less than four minutes after 911 received a call from inside the house. Firefighters quickly put out the flames and carried Pacheng Vang's wife and six children, three boys and three girls between the ages of 1 and 6, who were all unconscious from smoke inhalation, from the home.

"I’m all over the place, I can’t really explain the feelings," Pacheng told FOX 9.

Inks says responding to a fire where the majority of the victims are children can be traumatic for firefighters because many of them have children of their own and many experience a roller coaster of emotions for several days afterward.

"You're flying high on what you just did and what you accomplished, and then later in the day, emotions shift to are they going to be okay?" said Inks.

Inks added the department has a peer support program where firefighters can call a trained colleague to help them process their emotions before going back on the job.

"They really stepped up and responded, and I couldn't be more proud of them," said Inks.

At last check, the mother and six children were in critical condition on Wednesday at three different hospitals. Investigators say the fire appears to be accidental, but they are still narrowing down the exact cause.