'Worst nightmare come true:' 6-year-old dies in fire; mother, siblings injured

Family members on Wednesday are mourning a 6-year-old girl who died after being pulled from a fire in Cumberland County.

Allayna Woods, 6, died at the hospital. Her mother, Faith Adkins, and two siblings – Noah Woods, 4, and Emma Woods, 2 – were transported to the UNC Burn Center in Chapel Hill.

Before 2:45 a.m., the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office responded to a fire at 8011 Carlspond Road in Linden. Officials said the fire started in kitchen, spreading throughout the entire home.

Ann Roll, Adkins' sister-in-law who lives yards away, ran over to help save the family.

Roll said she awoke to Adkins banging on her door, yelling the house was on fire and the children were inside.

The pair rushed back to the home to save the children.

Roll said smoke and flames made it difficult, but she managed to pull the children out.

Allayna, whose nickname is Lulu, didn't make it.

"She fought so hard," Roll described. "Her hair was burning off ... I busted every window out of that house trying to get to Lulu. I kept yelling her name, 'Lulu, come to Aunt Annie.'"

Roll said Adkins was able to get the younger children out and went back into the flames to find her eldest.

Roll said, "She got the babies out, and she was like, 'Take the baby. Take the baby. I need to get Lulu,' and I said, 'If you open up that door, the flames are going to hit you in the face.'"

Undeterred, the mother went into the burning building but was overcome by smoke. Roll managed to pull both of them out.

Roll said the children's father was not home at the time of the fire because he had taken an extra shift at work to help with holiday expenses.

"This has been unbearable for him, and he is currently at the hospital supporting his wife and children," according to the GoFundMe page.

Allayna would have turned 7 in January.

"Allayna was excited about Christmas and a school play," the GoFundMe reads, stating she had a beautiful smile and witty sense of humor.

At this time, there are no signs of foul play. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Arson Investigator T. Whitman at 910-321-6786. Anonymous tips can be submitted at 910-483-8477.