HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) - Erica Connor lost three daughters and her grandson when a fire ripped through their home one week ago.

Today, she is telling the story of what it was like trying to save her family.

"I put my daughter down. I hit up the board, moved it out of the way- opened the doors. Got my 16-year-old out," Connor said.

Erica Connor did everything she could to get her children out of the house.

She suffered third-degree burns on her hands while trying to rescue as many family members as she could. Within minutes, she realized three of her daughters had not been able to escape.

"The whole house was in flames, and they just kept trying to get me to go down to the corner -- just get into an ambulance and go. And I was like, 'No! Where are my babies?' I didn't want to leave without my babies," Connor said.

The fire broke out in the middle of the night while the family was sleeping.

7 of the 11 family members in the home managed to escape, but 25-year-old Aisha Angel Linda/Marie Connor-Guadalupe and Aisha's 3-year-old son, Joshua Mato Rojas-Guadalupe, did not. 21-year-old KrystaLee Antuanette Hernandez and 14-year-old AmariaLys Magdelaina Villega also died in the fire.

"The firefighters said they had to back out, the fire was orange by then. My babies were gone within minutes. My babies were gone within minutes. I hoped and prayed, when they brought me to the hospital, that maybe they had jumped out of a window," Connors said. "There are no words."

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but the family believes it started on the porch.

A memorial of balloons, candles, and stuffed animals continues to grow outside the home.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help Connor and her other children who are now homeless. If you would like to donate, CLICK HERE.