House fire in Patricksburg leaves 3 people dead
The old wooden house in Patricksburg where three people died early Sunday morning was fully ablaze when firefighters got there.
"When they arrived on scene, it was fully engulfed and the structure was starting to collapse," Owen County Sheriff Ryan White said. "It was pretty much done by the time they got there."
The names of the victims have not been released, pending confirmation of their identities that will be made through DNA. Autopsies were expected to be done Tuesday in Terre Haute.
"We are pretty sure who they are but we have to be absolutely certain," the sheriff said.
Half an hour after the fire was reported at 5:12 a.m., first responders learned three residents of the home likely were trapped inside the blazing structure. White said cadaver-searching dogs from the Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office located the bodies once the fire was extinguished.
The cause is still being investigated; White said foul play is not suspected. A wood-burning stove heated the house, an older one-story residence with a basement located at 10377 Pichards St., less than half a mile from Patricksburg Elementary School.
"It's a terrible tragedy," said White, who was at the scene of the predawn blaze, as was the state fire marshal, whose office is investigating the cause of the fire.
Firefighters from the Patricksburg Volunteer Fire Department and Owen County Fire Territory responded, as did Owen County emergency medical services.
Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: House fire in Owen County town of Patricksburg leaves 3 people dead
