14 DAY TRIAL // Five people were killed on Tuesday, November 27, as a 130-year-old house burnt down over night. The incident occurred in the proximity of Republic, Ohio.
The fire left the bodies of the victims unrecognizable, however authorities believe the residents of the home perished in the fire. A family of two adults and three children inhabited the farmhouse, Philly writes.
They lived semi-isolated, on the outskirts of Republic, about a quarter mile away from the nearest inhabitants of the small village. Their more than 100-year-old home had a wooden frame, and farm fields surrounded it left and right.
The fire department responded to a 911 call made by a truck driver, who had noticed smoke coming from the house. At 3 a.m. local time he contacted emergency personnel, however by the time they arrived at the scene it was too late, as both stories of the house had caught on fire.
Volunteers helped put out the flames and search for human remains among the debris. It took until the following afternoon for all the victims to be found. They have not been identified until now, however police believe they found the bodies of the residents.
“We assume those are the ones recovered,” a spokesman for the village's volunteer Fire Department, Dean Henry, says.
The fire marshal's office is also investigating the cause of the incident. After the initial fire started, it wouldn't have taken long for flames to engulf the entire facility. County auditor records show it had been owned by the family since 2004, but the house was built in 1880.
Police are looking into the identities of the residents and alleged victims as, though they shared a home, one of the children that lived there had a different last name from the other members of the family.