Man, 13 and 15-year old found dead in house fire in Wake County, cause under investigation
WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Three people are dead after a house fire on Tuesday in southern Wake County. Fire officials said the call came in at 9:38 a.m. on Rand Road and Ten Ten Road.
First responders say they were on the scene in less than five minutes and after gaining access to the home, found the victims.
The Wake Sheriff's Office says the victims were a 13-year-old, a 15-year-old, and a man identified as 49-year-old Shannon Collins. They say two cats were also found dead inside. Investigators say they will not be releasing the names of the teenagers.
ABC11 News talked to nearby neighbors who were in shock after learning of the fire.
"We were wondering where they were going. I didn't know it was this close to us," Nina Edwards, who lives nearby, said.
Edwards was driving past the fire station Tuesday morning when she heard and saw sirens and fire engines rushing out of the garage. She had no idea they were heading to her neighborhood to respond to a fire just a few blocks away.
She and Brenda Adams saw the scene when they got back home.
"Feel kind of sad about it because it's hot, hot, hot and you just don't know if it's a fire or whatever because the windows are all busted out," said Adams.
Fire officials said the call came in at 9:38 a.m., and they were on the scene in less than five minutes. They gained access to the home and found three victims once they were inside. This heat advisory was a battle for firefighters as they battled a blaze in almost 100 degree weather. They took advantage of the shade from the trees.
"Wake county EMS provides rehab for us," Barrett Penny, the interim fire chief at Garner Fire and Rescue, said. "They did a phenomenal job monitoring our people today making sure they were protected from the heat, not allowing them to overexert themselves and work beyond their capabilities."
Tony Smith lives down the road and said he'd ride by and often see the homeowners working in the yard.
"I think it's just a man in his wife. That's all I've seen. I never seen any kids, but my heart goes out to the family," he said.
This was a joint effort between the Wake County Fire Marshal, Wake County Sheriff's Office, SBI, ATF, and the State Fire Marshal's Office.
Investigators said fires can cause mental distress.
"Our mindset transitions to our people so we will be conducting some peer assessments to make sure our staff is okay as well as anybody who was on the scene here today. You know our heart goes down to the victims as well," said Penny.
The cause of the fire has not been released. ABC11 News asked if authorities suspect foul play and if children were involved. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing.
"For three people to die, come on. Something is not adding up," said Edwards.
The Wake County Sheriff's Office released this statement Tuesday evening:
"The entire Sheriff's Office is thinking about and praying for the loved ones of the victims," Sheriff Willie Rowe said. "A tragedy like this impacts the entire community, and we understand there are questions that may arise. Our investigators and partnering agencies are working diligently to conduct a thorough investigation. We ask for your patience as that work continues."
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