A 19-year-old fire cadet was one of five people who died in an early morning Seneca County house fire Thursday.
According to the television station WTOL 11 Austin Rainey, a cadet with the Bascom Fire Volunteer Department was just two weeks from taking his firefighter exam. His body was recovered by his colleagues, draped with a flag and taken by vehicle to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office as firefighter saluted, the station reported.
The four remaining victims were not positively identified, but a Seneca County public information officer confirmed a family of three adults, including the fire cadet, and two children lived at the home. A dog also died in the large house fire, the station reported.
The fire was originally reported at 3:45 am and by the time firefighters arrived at the house between Bascom and Fostoria on SR 18, it was completely involved, according to WTOL 11.
Bascom Joint Fire District Chief Mark Devault told the televisions station the intensity of the fire prevented firefighters from entering the building. After knocking down the fire and bringing it under control, firefighters entered the building and soon found three victims. Two additional victims, including Rainey, were found in debris at about 1 p.m. nearly 10 hours after the fire was reported.
County Public Information Officer Dean Henry told the television station the fire was hard on the firefighters who fought the blaze.
“It’s a very small community , a very small department,” he said to the station. “All of these people know one another. Some of these firefighters are second and third generation firefighters. It’s not just something they do, it’s a part of their life. This has been a very difficult day for them today.
Rainey, the cadet, was a recent graduate of Hopewell-Loudon Schools, the same school were two of the other victims were attending. The school district ran on a two-hour delay because of the fire.
Mental health workers and a therapy dog was brought into the school district to help students cope with the tragedy and there was a gathering at the school Thursday night to mourn the victims, the station reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and authorities told the televisions station, and the state fire marshal’s office used drone images, a service dogs to help with the investigation. Officials do not believe the cause of the fire is suspicious and although they did not say a heater caused the fire, they took the opportunity to issue warnings about the damage that can come from heaters.
