Ashley Robinson, a tenant of the home, said she was upstairs getting her children's belongings ready for a new week of school when she heard someone entering her home.
She looked out to see two men, with at least one carrying a weapon, coming up her staircase. The robbers demanded Robinson give her cash, threatening her with a knife.
Robinson said she gave the men a safe that was inside of the home before running to try to wake her four sleeping children. While she was in another room, the two men poured gas inside the home and set the gas on fire, she said.
Springfield police and firefighters responded to the scene , putting out the fire and collecting evidence and information.
Robinson said she safely got her children out of the home just as firefighters and police were arriving.
The Springfield Fire Department investigators were dispatched to the scene to investigate the fire as a possible arson, according to dispatch records.
Robinson does not know who the robbers could have been but she said "I gave them what they wanted and they left; that's all I really wanted them to do."
The two suspects were described as males wearing hooded sweatshirts zipped up over their faces, according to a description from Robinson. She did not see the race or other features of the two men.
Information on the investigation has not been released by Springfield police or fire officials at this time.
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