Fire Claims Girl, 9, Who Saved Younger Sister

A 9-year-old girl died Saturday after rescuing her 6-year-old sister and trying to pull her young brother from a fire in their apartment.

Brittany Nesser Burger died of smoke inhalation.

The 2-year-old boy, David Noll II, was in critical condition Saturday evening at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis. David’s father, David, who lived with his son in the apartment, was in satisfactory condition at the same hospital.

The fire was reported shortly after noon. The cause of the fire was unknown Saturday evening, said police officer Doug Bowles.

Bowles said Brittany saved her sister, Katie Burger, by dropping her out a second-floor bedroom window about 6 feet above the ground. Katie was not injured. Brittany then tried to rescue her brother, but suffered third-degree burns from the flames.