A house fire at 13475 South Miami County Road 300 East, rural Kokomo, has resulted in the deaths of three children ages one, five, and six Saturday.
This morning at approximately 10:48 a.m., a 911 call to the Miami County Central Dispatch Center reported a possible fire at a home at 13475 South Miami County Road 300 East, rural Kokomo, IN. The caller, identified as Laura Gingerich, 27, a resident of the home, reported heavy smoke and that her three children were trapped inside the residence. The first extinguishing fire unit arrived at approximately 11:04 a.m. Fire units made a quick entry into the home and recovered the three children in a second-floor room that contained heavy smoke.
The children were all found unconscious and not breathing. Police officers, multiple firefighters, and paramedics started life-saving measures to include Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Miracle Gingerich, 6, was transported by ambulance to a Kokomo hospital. Steven Gingerich, 5, and Wilma Gingerich, 1, were transported by ambulance to a Peru hospital. Unfortunately, all three children died at the hospital.
Early evidence indicates that Laura Gingerich was in a downstairs bathroom while the children were in a second-floor room. Laura Gingerich smelled smoke and tried to get to her children. The smoke was allegedly too thick for her to make it up the stairs. She then called 911.
This is an active investigation led by the Miami County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the Indiana Fire Marshal’s Office. At this time, the cause of the fire nor what caused the children’s deaths has been determined. An autopsy will be scheduled.