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Last updated on Monday, November 25, 2013
(NINEVEH) - A mother is still fighting for her life after losing two of her children in a Johnson County house fire, Friday evening in Nineveh.
WTHR reports, 29-year-old Sirena Slusher Abbot is in critical condition at Wishard Hospital after she tried to save her 6 month old little boy and 18 month old daughter after their upstairs apartment caught on fire.
The Johnson County Deputy Coroner said 6 month old John Ryan Abbott and 18 month old Hailey Lynn Abbott died in Friday's fire after they were trapped inside.
"I've never seen anything just erupt in flames like that," said Jaqueline Brown, crying.
It's the most helpless Brown said she's ever felt in her life.
She watched her neighbor's Nineveh home go up in flames, realizing, even more helpless than she, were the two babies trapped inside the inferno in front of her.
Their mother, Sirena Slusher Abbott was standing outside the home burned and dazed.
"I said,'where's the babies' and she said, 'they're in the living room.' So then I just started screaming for help. 'Someone come and help us,'" Brown recalled.
By then though, it was too late. Six month old John Ryan Abbott and his 18 month old sister Hailey were trapped in the family's upstairs apartment.
Only their mother and older sister 5 year old Alexandria had escaped.
The little girl, who investigators said is severely autistic, ran to Brown's home, while her mother tried to save her younger siblings.
"Ali came knocking on my door, saying that her house was on fire and I looked out the door window and I saw smoke," recalled Brown.
Brown tried to help. There was nothing she could do.
"I went up like three steps and there was flames just coming out of the living room, so I backed out and I looked over and saw Sirena and she was just covered, like her hair was burnt and she was covered in black," said Brown.
Brown said she remembers just screaming.
"Somebody get the babies out," she said she screamed.
" I mean, I was, I just wanted them out and I was, I got too scared to go up the stairs. I backed out. I mean, it was already, the living room was already engulfed and I mean Sirena couldn't go back in," Brown added.
Others tried too. It was no use.
"Some guy tried to climb up the back pole and go in that way, but the babies were in the living room," Brown remembered.
Even fire crews with all of their equipment were helpless to save the little ones inside.
Hours later, many worked through the night, recovering both babies by early morning.
The Indiana State Fire Marshall is still searching for a cause.
Funeral arrangements for the two children are pending with Jessen Funeral Home in Whiteland.
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