2 siblings killed as fire hits home

When firefighters reached the small cape on Bay Street at about 8:20 a.m. they found a police officer and a bystander pounding on the door to awaken the family, said Springfield Fire Department spokesman Dennis Leger.

The children and their mother were asleep when the fire appeared to break out in the basement and spread upward, he said. The one-alarm blaze was quickly brought under control.

Firefighters found the bodies of Marshall Wood Jr., 17, and his brother Malik Bell, 4, in their bedrooms on the second and first floors, respectively, Leger said. Two of their sisters, Jakaria Bell, 9, and Jasayah Bell, 14, were rushed to hospitals with facial burns, Leger said. Their mother, Melissa Bell, was being treated for smoke inhalation and emotional distress.

Jakaria was listed in critical condition at Massachusetts General Hospital yesterday, a hospital spokeswoman confirmed. Jasayah was being treated at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield before being transferred to another hospital, a Baystate spokeswoman said.

Authorities did not release information about the other five children. The cause of the fire has not been determined. A preliminary investigation indicated that smoke detectors in the home were not working, Leger said.

“Smoke detectors provide that small window of opportunity that people have to be able to escape a burning home,’’ said State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan. “This is always a reminder that people take time to ensure that smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are properly working.’’.

The children’s father, Tony Bell, was not home when the fire broke out, Leger said. Yesterday afternoon, the remains of a burned high chair and charred toys could be seen scattered around the property as investigators combed through the remains of the small home.

Neighbors described Tony Bell as a hard worker and said they rarely see him because he is usually at work. Eduardo Orta, 20, said he had no idea that nine children lived in the house next door to him.

“I see two or three kids playing all the time, but I never saw all of them,’’ said Orta.

The fire is under investigation by Coan’s office and the Springfield police and fire departments.

Gilbert Gordon, of the Celestial Praise Church of God, where the Bell family attends services, said the parish is grief-stricken at the news of the fire and the loss of young lives.

“I was very devastated when I heard this morning. My cousin called me in tears,’’ Gordon said.

This church has a recent history of coming together after tragedy. In April, members mourned another worshiper, 11-year-old Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, who hanged himself after being bullied at school.

At that time, Gordon said, the church came together, prayed, and offered grief counseling to the hundreds of worshipers, including some 40 children. Gordon said he expects the same will happen again.

John M. Guilfoil can be reached at jguilfoil@globe.com.