fire

7-year-old dies in Middletown house fire

A 7-year-old boy has died and his two sisters have been hospitalized after a Middletown house fire early Monday morning.

Middletown Police Officer Brendan Behan was on patrol when he spotted smoke coming from a home at 566 East Main Road.  Behan forced his way into the home and rescued two children, 16-year-old Cheyanne Arroyo and 14-year-old Leilaney Arroyo, on the first floor but due to heavy smoke he was not able to make it to the 2nd floor. When Middletown firefighters arrived on scene they were able to gain access to the 2nd floor where they found 7-year-old Ramon Arroyo in serious condition.

Police said the two children rescued from the first floor were taken to Newport Hospital and that the 7-year-old boy was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital where he later passed away.

Five Middletown Police Officers were treated and released from Newport Hospital for smoke inhalation.

The parents of the children were not at the home at the time of the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.