2 children killed in Fayette County fire identified

A brother and sister were killed early Tuesday in a house fire in South Union Township, Fayette County, according to Coroner Phillip Reilly.

His office identified the children as RyLeigh Weasenforth, 7, and Gunner Weasenforth, 5. They were pronounced dead at the house on South Mt. Vernon Avenue at 7:48 a.m., according to a spokeswoman.

The fire was reported at 5:15 a.m. Tuesday, according to Fayette County 911.

South Union Township Fire chief Rickey McCormick told reporters there were flames shooting out of the front and back of the two-story home.

“The kids were in the back, (firefighters) tried their best to get in it just wasn’t feasible when we got here,” McCormick told reporters at the scene.

The deaths hit firefighters hard.

“I got a couple little kids at home, myself, it’s pretty hard right now,” he said.

An online donation site has been set up for their family. The local chapter of the American Red Cross is providing four adults and two children who lived in two apartments there with assistance and lodging.

Autopsies on both children were being performed.

The cause of the fire has not been released.

Jacob Tierney and Renatta Signorni are Tribune-Review staff writers. You can contact Jacob at 724-836-6646, jtierney@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Soolseem. You can contact Renatta at 724-837-5374, rsignorini@tribweb.com or @ByRenatta.