5 dead, including 3 children, as a result of house fire in West Virginia

WILLIAMSBURG, W.Va. — Five people, including three children, died and emergency crews were looking for a possible sixth victim following a house fire in West Virginia, officials said.

Fire crews, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office and the West Virginia State Police responded to the blaze Tuesday afternoon at a home near Williamsburg, authorities said.

Crews found four bodies inside the home and another body outside the residence, a statement from Greenbrier County Sheriff Bruce Sloan said. They were continuing to search Wednesday for a possible sixth victim.

Authorities say five people have died after a house fire Tuesday in Greenbrier County.

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Gov. Jim Justice called the fire a “terrible tragedy.”

He said the three children found inside the home were attending second grade, kindergarten and pre-school. Nine volunteer fire departments from surrounding counties poured in to help extinguish the flames, which completely destroyed the home, he said.

Investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office responded to the scene and did not find anything of suspicious nature. https://t.co/bzWjya5AGV

— WVVA News (@WVVA) December 8, 2020

Investigators have developed a timeline and sequence of events leading up to the deaths, Sloan said. Evidence at the scene is being examined and processed and the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office is conducting an investigation into the origin of the fire, he said.

All bodies will be sent to the state medical examiner’s office to determine the manner and causes of death.

No further information was immediately available.