The babysitter, whose name was not released, woke to the fire shortly after 1 a.m.

Chief Timothy Grenno said the babysitter attempted to rescue the grandmother, Helena Drass, but the flames were too intense.

The babysitter was able to rescue all four children from the home on 15 Newland Drive.

Next door neighbor Lindsey Lund said she woke up around 2 a.m. when she heard screaming outside and she found the whole street had been blocked off.

“When my dad got home from work he heard the screaming and raced over and got the babysitter and kids to come outside, but he said he it was way to late for the grandmother,” Lund said, adding her father lives just up the street.

She said that the attic had fallen in and the blocked the way for anyone to go in and rescue the grandmother. 

Lund was told the babysitter and the children were sleeping when the fire broke out. The babysitter was able to get the children out and then tried to help the grandmother.

“Where our house is we couldn’t see the flames because they were on the other side, but my neighbor across the street saw the flames. He said they were bright blue and he has never seen such crazy fire,” she said.

Another neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said, “It is an awful loss, especially just after Mother’s Day. I know the family and it is very sad.”

There were several 9-1-1 phone calls received and when firefighters arrived on scene, they found a two-story wood frame house in flames and Drass trapped on the second floor.

An aggressive rescue attempt was made by firefighters, but they were forced back by extreme heat and fire, Grenno said.

Drass was found in a back bedroom, he said.

She lived in the house with her daughter, Staci, and her four grandchildren. The babysitter was watching the children because Staci was out of state, Grenno said.

The babysitter received burns to her hands and suffered from smoke inhalation during her attempt to rescue Drass.

“She truly is a hero. If she hadn’t made the quick decision to evacuate the children when she did this would have been much worse,” Grenno said. “I give her a lot of credit for having a solid head in a time of crisis.”

The babysitter and a firefighter, who also tried to rescue Drass, were both treated for burns and released from Brockton Hospital.

Firefighters vented the roof and windows to give the inside crew some relief from the heat and smoke.

The fire was being fed by home oxygen equipment and spread rapidly, Grenno said.

“The fire was so intense it did more damage in 10 minutes than most fires do in 30 minutes,” he said.

 “This is a difficult time, the members of my department, and the police department, who know the family well and did all they could to rescue Ms. Drass,” Grenno said. “It saddens us the outcome couldn’t have been different, our thoughts and prayers are with the family.”

Grenno said that the cause of the fire is under investigation, but does not appear suspicious.

Investigators from Whitman’s fire and police departments, State Fire Marshal’s Office and Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the cause of the fire.

The Red Cross and Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the fire scene.

Damage to the home is estimated to be around $80,000.

“It was a very tragic incident, and our hearts and prayers go out to the Drass family,” Chief Christine May-Stafford said.