Bakersfield mother dies trying to save children in house fire

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Bakersfield community was left devastated after a mother of five died while trying to save her kids from a house fire.

Friends and family say 38-year-old Kristina Stratton would have done anything for her children and that's exactly what she did after her home went up in flames.

Ranging in ages from 7 to 18, Stratton's children were trapped on the second floor, but managed to jump out of a window to safety.

However, when fire crews arrived, they were unable to pull Stratton from the blaze.

"It is just unspeakable heartbreak to have to do something like that when you lose a loved one, so you can imagine the raw emotions that are there," said family friend Pastor Angelo Frazier.

Stratton's children suffered minor injuries and are already out of the hospital.

Firefighters are still investigating the cause of the blaze.