Five people were killed in an early morning fire on Thanksgiving Day in Athens County, according to a spokesperson from the Ohio Department of Commerce.
The fire broke out at two mobile homes on Rainbow Lake Road.
When fire crews got to the scene, they found the trailers engulfed in flames. A separate outbuilding was also damaged by the fire.
After the fire was put out, five people were found dead inside the mobile homes, officials said. None of the victims have been identified at this time.
According to fire investigators, two children were among the five people killed.
“Any kind of fatality, it’s hard. When there’s five and there’s children involved, it adds to it,” said Chief Dale Sinclair of the Richland Area Volunteer Fire Department.
Sinclair said some of the firefighters knew the people who lived at the address, and help is available to all first responders.
“We’re having a debriefing tonight. We’ve got a team coming in to meet with everyone and try to get as much mental health help as we can,” Sinclair said.
A sixth person inside the house was able to escape the fire and was taken to a nearby hospital.
Officials said the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, and the Athens County Coroner’s Office.
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