Four children died in a Mason City, Iowa, house fire early Wednesday morning, according to KTTC.
Drako Mcluer, 6; John Michael Mcluer, 12; Odin Thor Mcluer, 10 and Phenix Mcluer, 3, perished in the blaze, according to KTTC. Two other occupants, 55-year-old John Michael Mcluer and 11-year-old Raven Mcluer, reportedly managed to escape the fire.
Mason City Fire Department Chief Eric Bullinger said “investigators were able to determine that the origin” of the fire came in the form of an overloaded power strip, KTTC reported. The department conducted an investigation and ruled the cause of the fire as accidental, according to KIMT3.
Firefighters originally responded to the blaze after a 5:05 a.m. dispatch and arrived to find flames on the first two floors of the house before commencing rescue operations, according to KTTC. Two firefighters allegedly sustained minor injuries.
I’m up in Mason City today, where a house fire took the lives of 4 children, 2 others are injured. You can see a memorial set up in front of the house for each of the 4 kids. Will share more when I know more: https://t.co/BZznkqAuEC @WHO13news pic.twitter.com/LfsG8Ce6QO
— Zach Fisher (@ZachFisherNews) November 17, 2022
The firefighters worked amid low temperatures with assistance from Alliant Energy, Mason City Operations & Maintenance and Mason City Police Department crews, KTTC reported. Additional assistance came from the Salvation Army. (RELATED: Massive Yacht Fire Breaks Out, Leads Passengers To Jump Off Ship)
Pat Hamilton, superintendent of Mason City Community Schools where the four children attended, described “an overwhelming sense of sadness today. The four students that lost their lives were beloved and valued by their school community,” according to KTTC.
“Our focus is on our school community cope [sic] with the shock and loss associated with this tragedy,” Hamilton continued, according to KTTC. A collaboration with the Central Rivers Education Agency provided counselors to ensure the availability for crisis support for students, the outlet continued.
A New York City apartment fire caused by a battery malfunction left 38 injured in early November, while Jay Leno suffered serious burns in a Nov. 13 garage fire. In late October a New York City man lost three children and his baby granddaughter to a house fire.