A house fire near Canton in Van Zandt County killed three children overnight and left a 10-year-old boy and an adult in critical condition. The blaze broke out around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday near County Road 4127 and County Road 4128, trapping four children inside before firefighters tore through an exterior wall to pull them out.
The children who died were an 8-year-old boy, a 5-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl, according to CBS News. Three people managed to escape the home on their own, but firefighters had to breach the wall to reach the four children who remained trapped inside, the outlet reported.
A 10-year-old boy and an adult woman were rushed to Parkland Hospital in Dallas, where officials said both remained in critical condition, per NBC DFW. The station reported that the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Multiple Fire Departments Battled the Blaze
Crews from Canton, South Van Zandt, Ben Wheeler and Wills Point all responded to tackle the fire, the station's report notes. According to FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, the 10-year-old boy was flown by emergency helicopter to the hospital, while the other two occupants who escaped the home were taken by ambulance as a precaution.
The article, credited to reporter Grace Marocco and sourced to the Van Zandt County Fire Marshal's Office, states that officials have not identified the victims and have not released a cause for the fire. As of Wednesday, names of those killed had not been made public, according to the same CBS News report.
Investigation Continues
No further details on what sparked the fire or what led to four children being trapped inside have been disclosed. Authorities have not provided an update on the conditions of the 10-year-old boy or the adult woman since they were admitted to Parkland Hospital in critical condition.
