Pregnant woman, 2 sons, 2 dogs dead after Pennsylvania fire

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Monday, September 4, 2017
Pregnant woman, 2 children dead after Berks Co. fire
Pregnant woman, 2 children dead after Berks Co. fire. Walter Perez reports during Action News at 6 p.m. on September 3, 2017.

HAMBURG, Pa. -- A pregnant woman and her two young sons were killed when a fire tore through their home late Saturday night.

State police in Berks County said the fire was reported shortly before 11:30 p.m. Saturday in a home in Hamburg, about 55 miles (88 kilometers) northeast of Harrisburg. Thick smoke and flames could be seen pouring out of the structure.

The fire was brought under control early Sunday morning.

Assistant Chief Deputy Coroner John Hollenbach said that Jennifer Wilder, 27, was pronounced dead at the scene around 4:30 a.m. Sunday. Her two sons, Gabriel Kalinoski, 5, and Julian Gust, 2, were also pronounced dead. Officials say Wilder was about six months pregnant.

A man was able to escape by jumping from a bedroom window and was hospitalized with injuries. He has not been identified.

Authorities don't know the cause of the blaze but believe it started in the second floor of the home.

Neighbors say they saw the fire from several streets away.

"We came out, and the whole house from the bottom, from the floor, all the way up from front to back was nothing but flames," said Ashley Neider.

Two dogs also perished in the fire.

The house has been deemed a total loss.

WPVI contributed to this report.