WESTPORT — Fire at a Mount Pleasant Street house Saturday night claimed the life of a 4-year-old boy, and injured his mother, a sister and a neighbor who tried to save the youngster.

Westport fire officials said the call to 9 Mount Pleasant St. (just north of Route 6 and east of Route 88) came in at 10:55 p.m.  The first firefighters to arrive found heavy smoke and flame coming from windows both upstairs and downstairs in the three-bedroom house. In a press release firefighters described it as “well involved with heavy fire on both floors.”

Inside, they found the 4-year-old in his second floor bedroom.

The boy has been identified as Caleb Nardolillo.

Also inside the house when the fire broke out were Caleb’s mother Melody Murchison-Nardolillo, 32, and his sister Bella, 7, both of whom were treated for burn injuries and smoke inhalation. They remained hospitalized as of Monday morning. Another older sister, Morgan, was not home that evening.

Hurt as well was 17-year-old Westport High School senior Jacob Silva — who lives nearby and ran inside to try save the youngster before jumping from a second floor window.

Across-the-street neighbor Susan M. Shurtleff, who lives with the Silva family, said that Jacob “never hesitated” when he heard that his friend Caleb was still inside the burning house.

She said that Melody Nardolillo ran across the street to their house pleading for them to call the fire department fast — “she was badly burned and terrified — she couldn’t get to Caleb because the fire was so hot.”

“When Jacob heard that Caleb was still inside he ran over and went straight in and up the stairs — but he couldn’t get to him.

“Rose (Silva, Caleb’s mother) was out in the yard calling for him to come out,” Ms. Shurleff said. “He got lucky and managed to kick out a (second floor) window and got out.” She said she thinks his mother helped break his fall.”

Rose Mello said her son, though treated for his injuries “is back at school today” (Monday).

“Jacob loved that little boy,” Ms. Shurtleff said.

“Everybody around here loved him. He was full of love ad life, a joy to be with — everything he did he just made you giggle.”

She said they had all watched Elf together last Saturday evening at the Nardolillo house — “Such a happy time right before the holidays.”

“Santa’s coming,” he told us. “He would light up your life.”

A Westport firefighter was treated and released for smoke inhalation.

Missing still is the family’s dog, Angel, a rescue pit bull described by a neighbor as a “very sweet, gentle “ tan-colored dog. “We’ve all searched the neighborhood in hopes she made it out but nothing yet.”

Assisting Westport with ambulances and backup were crews from Fall River, Tiverton and Little Compton.

Efforts to help the family have begun on several fronts

A YouCaring page organized by Sharon Furtado, Firefighters Wives Association,  had over $8,500 in donations “for Melody, Bella and Morgan” by early Monday afternoon.  Search YouCaring Mount Pleasant Street fire.

There’s also a gofundme page

And gifts can also be dropped off at Westport’s Hixbridge Road and Briggs Road fire stations.

Assisting Westport  with ambulances and backup were crews from Fall River, Tiverton, Dartmouth and Little Compton.

The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said Monday that “The investigation into the fire remains ongoing. It is being conducted by State Troopers assigned to the State Fire Marshall's Office, State Troopers assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, and members of the Westport Police and Fire Departments.”

Ms. Nardolillo had been renting the house with her family.

The house was also the scene of one of the region’s worst fire tragedies, the November, 1952, Audette family fire that claimed nine lives in 1952.

Killed when fire broke out at night were Mary Audette, 44, and her children Genevieve, 17, Natalie, 14, Shirley, 12, Madeline, 10, Eleanor, 9, Veronica, 7, Francis, 5, and Geraldine, 3.

Alladin Audet, the family’s father, and a teen-age son were working on the night shift at a textile mill.