Ten people, including three children, were killed in a house fire in Pennsylvania early Friday. Three adults survived the fire, and a criminal investigation is ongoing.
According to state police, officers responded to the two-story house in Neskopek at 2:42 a.m. local time and discovered that although three people had made it out, others were trapped inside.
Multiple response agencies and K9 units found the victims inside the house.
The state police identified him as: Dale Baker, 19; Star Baker, 22; David Dubert, 79; Brian Dubert, 42; Shannon Dubert, 45; Laura Dubert, 47; and Marion Sluser, 54. Three teenagers also died – they were identified as a 7-year-old girl, a 6-year-old boy and a 5-year-old boy.
Nescopeck Volunteer Fire Company Firefighter Harold Baker Told the Citizens Voice newspaper of Wilkes-Barre The 10 victims include his son, daughter, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, three grandchildren and two other relatives.
Baker said the address initially given for the call was a neighbor’s house, but when firefighters arrived they realized it was their family’s home.
“When we turned the corner here on Davy (Street) I knew immediately what house it was,” Baker told Citizens Voice. “I was on the first engine, and when we pulled over, the whole place was completely covered. We tried to get into them.”
Neighbors heard a loud noise or explosion before seeing the house’s front porch rapidly engulfed in flames. Some even reported hearing a young man in front of the house shouting, “They are all dead.”
Baker, who was relieved of his firefighting duties because of his relationship with the victims, said there were 14 people living in the home. He said one of them was distributing the newspaper and three others fled.
The state police said the house was completely destroyed in the fire.
