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FIRE UPDATE: Information about fire investigation released, victims names
The Clay County Sheriff’s Department and the Clay County Coroners Office released preliminary information Friday about the trailer fire that killed two children earlier this week
Firefighters from six agencies fought the fire that took place at Northview Country Estates Wednesday evening, which took the lives of two small children
The Clay County Coroner Nick French released the names of the victims Thursday evening, which are:
Athena Holdbrook, age 3
Aries Romine, three months old
Forensic Pathologist Dr. Jimmie Smith performed the autopsies Thursday and determined the cause of death to be smoke inhalation, but the manner of death was still under investigation.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Department released preliminary information about the investigation on Friday.
According to the press release, the trailer address was 3805 West SR 340, and multiple 911 calls were made to report the fire. One caller indicated that as she looked out of her window, she noticed flames in her neighbor’s home, while the others said the trailer was fully engulfed with fire from the roof.
Deputies were first on the scene, confirming heavy flames and smoke had consumed the home. When deputies were told two children were inside the fully engulfed home, they made entry without proper protective gear. Shortly after, fire personnel began to arrive on the scene, and several more attempts were made to rescue the children but were ultimately unsuccessful because the fire was too intense.
During the subsequent investigation, detectives learned that an 11-year-old aunt was also with the family. However, she was not in
the home or injured due to the fire. They also determined that no adult was present or in the house during the fire.
Jerry Romine, the father of Aries, was at work, and Kodi Carpenter, the mother of both children, was across the street at a neighbor’s home.
When Carpenter became aware of the fire, she could not enter the home or retrieve her children.
The investigation continues at this time, and the Indiana State Fire Marshall’s office has preliminarily determined an electrical issue with a power strip was the cause of the fire.
It is believed that no foul play or accelerants were used to start or enhance the fire.
Assisting with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office investigation was Brazil City Police Department, Indiana State Police, Indiana State Fire Marshall, Brazil City Fire, Posey Fire, Jackson Fire, Dick Johnson Fire, Seelyville Fire, Van Buren Fire, STAR Ambulance, and the Clay County Coroner.
Once the investigation is complete, a full report will be forwarded to the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office for further review.