BRADENTON, Fla. — The Manatee County Sheriff's Office says an 11-month-old boy is dead after an apartment fire early Thursday morning in Bradenton.
According to authorities, deputies on another call heard screaming around 1:30 a.m. and responded to a quadplex at 4307 9th Street East. The building was on fire and deputies were told the baby was unaccounted for.
Authorities say the deputies immediately ran inside and found the second floor engulfed in flames with the roof starting to collapse. The deputies helped evacuate the remaining families as fire rescue responded.
The sheriff's office says firefighters put the fire out and found the baby boy dead on the second floor.
Deputies say, based on interviews, a 14-year-old girl woke up and found the upstairs apartment she was in on fire. Seven people including two children that were in the apartment got out but the attempts to get to the baby were not successful. Authorities say one adult family member was burned trying to go back inside to find the infant.
The state fire marshal is investigating the fire and Manatee County detectives are conducting a death investigation. An autopsy for the baby is scheduled to take place later on Thursday.
