One of the building’s residents was treated for minor injuries after the early morning fire. (Seth Gottfried)
A 7-year-old girl died and her little sister was critically injured in a suspicious Bronx fire early today, officials said.
Flames erupted at about 3:10 a.m. inside an apartment building at 977 Grant Ave., on the fourth floor of the five-story walk-up, authorities said.
Arson investigators found a five-gallon gasoline container at the scene and a natural gas line had been “compromised,” law enforcement sources told The Post.
Although NYPD detectives, armed with search warrants, scoured the building today, they were in no rush to declare the blaze a homicide.
The gasoline container might be a leftover from Hurricane Sandy, and the natural gas line could have been altered to save money, law enforcement sources said.
“My son’s torn up over this, he’s in deep shock,” said German Martinez, grandfather of the two little girls.
Hazel Martinez, 7, was pronounced dead on arrival at Lincoln Hospital, while her 3-year-old sister Haley was listed in critical condition at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
“Hazel was the smartest one in the family. I feel like my granddaughter is already in heaven,” the grieving grandfather said.
“I had to come down here to see the devastation that happened to my family. I love them with all my life.”
The little girls lived with their family that included three brothers between ages 2 and 10, their dad Shaun Martinez and two women who were biological mothers of all five kids, neighbors and relatives said.
The two little half-sisters had separate moms but the same dad.
German Martinez acknowledged the family’s untraditional living arrangement but said: “Don’t discriminate against my family.”
Firefighters at the scene said thick, heavy smoke on top floors made this blaze particularly difficult to battle.
Firefighters desperately gave CPR to the little girls on the street after pulling them from the burning building, witnesses said.
“It was heart-breaking — they lost a child so young,” said 37-year-old building resident Nicole Salem, who was not injured. “The firefighters tried their best.”
An adult resident of the building was also taken for treatment to Lincoln but was expected to survive.
Additional reporting by David K. Li