Child may have started deadly Kokomo blaze, though official cause undetermined, investigators say Lawrence Andrea, Indianapolis Star
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Investigators of a February house fire in Kokomo that killed three young siblings could not determine a cause of the fire but said they cannot rule out the possibility one of the children started the blaze in an upstairs bedroom.
A human element likely played a role in the Feb. 27 house fire in the 13000 block of South County Road 300 East in Miami County that killed Miracle Gingerich, 6, Steven Gingerich, 5, and Wilma Gingerich, 1, according to Miami County Sheriff s Sgt. Gary Glassburn.
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Investigators of a February house fire in Kokomo that killed three young siblings could not determine a cause of the fire but said they cannot rule out the possibility one of the children started the blaze in an upstairs bedroom.
A human element likely played a role in the Feb. 27 house fire in the 13000 block of South County Road 300 East in Miami County that killed Miracle Gingerich, 6, Steven Gingerich, 5, and Wilma Gingerich, 1, according to Miami County Sheriff s Sgt. Gary Glassburn.
Investigators found no evidence that faulty equipment or other ignition sources like wiring, outlets or a power strip started the fire and noted interviews with family members revealed one of the children had previously set fires in the house.
Miracle Gingerich, 6, Steven Gingerich, 5, and Wilma Gingerich, 1, were found unresponsive on Feb. 27 after a fire broke out at their home in the 13000 block of South County Road 300 East.
The children’s mother, Laura Gingerich, called 911 and said there was heavy smoke in the house and that her three children were trapped inside.
According to state police, early evidence indicated Laura was in a downstairs bathroom while the children were in the second-floor room. She smelled smoke and tried to get to her children but the smoke was too thick for her to make it up the stairs. Then she called 911, according to ISP.
Teachers at Pipe Creek Elementary School this week have had to balance their own grief with that of their students. They’re sad, said Laura Fulton, principal of the Peru, Indiana school. They walk into the classroom and see that empty desk sitting there.
Three siblings 6-year-old Miracle Gingerich, 5-year-old Steven Gingerich and 1-year-old Wilma Gingerich died Saturday, Feb. 27, in a fire at their home in the 13000 block of South County Road 300 East in Miami County north of Indianapolis.
“It’s been surreal, Fulton added. This is my 28th year in education, and it’s the first time I’ve ever dealt with the death of a student.