6 killed, including mother and 5 children, in house fire in Ohio

Six people, including a mother and her five children, were killed in a house fire in Clarksville, Ohio, according to emergency officials.

The fire was reported at about 6:40 a.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of Main Street in Clarksville, a small village in Clinton County in southwest Ohio, according to Clinton County EMA Director Thomas Breckel.

Breckel said firefighters were dispatched within minutes of a 911 call and made rapid entry into the home while working to suppress the fire.

“About 9 minutes later they actually found what they believed to be the only survivor, an adult male, which was transported to a local hospital,” Breckel told reporters. Crews continued to battle the fire while trying to reach the second floor, but the structure had already suffered major damage.

“They continued to attack the fire and tried to make it up the second floor but because of the structural loss, the stairs collapsing, some other issues with the fire, they tried coming in through the windows, they weren’t able to get in time,” Breckel said.

When firefighters eventually reached one of the bedrooms, they discovered multiple victims.

“When they did make it into one of the bedrooms, that is where they found what is believed an adult female, an infant, and also the remaining children,” Breckel said.

Local media reported that the victims were a mother and her five children. The hospitalized survivor is believed to be the father.

Eight firefighters were injured while battling the blaze but were treated and released at the scene, Breckel said.

The Ohio State Fire Marshal is assisting with the investigation, and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.