Residents in the Bronx and the rest of the city are mourning the deaths of an adult and eight children killed in a fire Thursday.

Fire officials said the blaze on Woodycrest Ave. was sparked by an overloaded space heater and quickly spread through the home. Mayor Bloomberg (R-NYC) said the residents first tried to put out the fire themselves before calling for help. Officials also say the two smoke alarms in the home were without batteries.

There were a total of 22 people living in the building. The owner of the home, Moussa Magassa, arrived back from Mali and is expected to bury his wife and child there. The other children killed in the blaze are expected to be buried in New York. At a press conference Friday, Bloomberg offered his condolences to the families.

Many groups representing the Mali community have stepped forward offering help to those affected. City Council leaders are also banding together to get relief efforts for those who survived the fire and are now homeless.

At the press conference, Bloomberg announced that the city will be giving away free batteries for smoke detectors. Fire officials have also been busy handing out free smoke detectors to residents on Woodycrest Ave.

Click here for reaction from the school where the deceased children attended.

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