Brothers Ages 3, 6 Die Following Clifton House Fire

CLIFTON, VA — Two brothers, ages 3 and 6, died Sunday from smoke inhalation they suffered when their family home caught fire last week, a news report said.

Fairfax County firefighters were called to the two-alarm house fire in the 13900 block of Whetstone Manor Court in Clifton, where heavy fire and smoke trapped the children until rescuers arrived.

Jamey Brice said his youngest children, 3-year-old Zachariah and 6-year-old William, were unresponsive for 45 minutes after firefighters pulled them from their burning home, NBC Washington reported. Rescuers performed CPR on the boys outside the home before they were taken to a hospital.

The smoke severely damaged their lungs and prevented oxygen from getting to their brains. Their father told NBC Washington the youngsters died Sunday.

"We are devastated by these horrific events and heart broken that we lost our amazing sons," Brice wrote on Facebook. "Our prayers along with all of yours have been answered, just in a different way. It wasn’t what we picked, and we are learning to surrender and trust God more and more."

A GoFundMe organized to help the Brice family has raised more than $150,000 as of Monday.