A 4-year-old girl died early Sunday morning after a Phoenix apartment caught fire.

Capt. Rob McDade, a spokesman for the Phoenix Fire Department, said fire crews responded to the apartment complex at 2323 W. Dunlap Ave. around 4:30 a.m. where they noticed three people signaling for help from a bedroom window on the second floor. 

McDade said firefighters used a ladder to reach the second floor, broke the window and rescued a man, woman and 10-year-old girl. Firefighters found a 4-year-old girl near the front of the apartment and pronounced her dead at the scene. It was not immediately clear why the child, who was not identified, was in a different part of the apartment.

The other three people, who also remain unidentified, were taken to Maricopa Medical Center. McDade said the woman was in critical condition after breathing in a considerable amount of smoke. The man and 10-year-old girl were stable.

McDade said all signs indicate the fire was accidental, but he noted the exact cause remained under investigation.

Sgt. Maggie Cox, a spokeswoman with the Phoenix Police Department, said detectives would investigate the child’s death but initial signs showed the death was likely accidental.

Details regarding if and how the four people were related were not immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back with azcentral.com for updates.

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. 

Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2019/12/15/phoenix-apartment-fire-4-year-old-girl-dead-3-others-injured/2657371001/