Three Killed in Indiana House Fire

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Three people are dead after a house fire in Fort Wayne early Sunday morning.

Firefighters rescued four people, two women and two little girls, from the burning house. They were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Three were then pronounced dead at the hospital.

The Allen County coroner said Debra Sallis, 23, Johnae Bennett, 5, and Johniya Bennett, 4, all died. Sallis and Johnae Bennett died from smoke inhalation. An autopsy on Johniya Bennett is scheduled for Monday morning.

Chaketa McClendon, 25, is still in critical condition in the hospital.

The Fort Wayne Fire Department said a neighbor called 9-1-1 saying the house at 4747 Bowser Ave. was on fire around 5:45 a.m. Sunday.

"My daughter came in and said the house was on fire across the street," Ricky Stalling said. "We ran over toward the house and flames were shooting out the front and the side. We ran to the side where the bedrooms were and busted the windows out. Smoke came out so we couldn't get in. So we just knocked on windows to try to get a response from people inside, but we didn't hear any response."

When fire crews arrived, they found heavy fire coming from the house. As one crew attacked the fire, another searched for people inside.

"As soon as [the firefighters] got here, we told them there was kids in the house and a couple firemen risked their lives. They went right in and got the kids out of there," Stalling said.

NewsChannel 15 was told the firefighters handed the children to the medics as soon as they got out of the house.

"They train for this, but even with the training they have, they're spouses, fathers, mothers... it's not easy for them," fire department spokeswoman Susan Banta said. "They do what they do and they do it well. After they've completed all their work at the scene, they go back and they handle it."

Banta said a chaplain was at the scene and firefighters have access to counselors for all public service employees in the city and county.

It took crews about 20 minutes to put out the fire in the living room, kitchen and hallway.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. It's not known if there was a working smoke detector in the house.

Republished with permission of WANE-TV.