Authorities say they found five kids home alone in Peekskill Tuesday night after answering an emergency fire call.

The Peekskill Fire Department was called to a three-level multifamily home on Homestead Avenue after neighbors reported smelling smoke coming from the apartment.

Upon entering the home, firefighters say they discovered a pot burning on the stove and five children, ranging in age from 5 to 12, home alone.

The children's father, Hai Ngueyen, told News 12 that he went to the store to get food for the children. No charges have been filed.

Ngueyen says he has been having a hard time raising his children on his own since his divorce. Lt. Cathy Johansen, of the Peekskill Police Department, says there is assistance available for parents like Ngueyen.

"I'm in the business of helping people," she says. "I'm not in the business of taking their kids away."

Police say there was no damage to the apartment and that the children were not hurt. Following the incident, the five girls were taken to their mother's home.