"I still can't believe it, I just can't believe it."
Edward Benard said he is numb and still in shock over the loss of his son, Derek Dorsey, Derek's fiance, Audrea Johnson, and his grandchildren, Derek Jr. and Ariell. He also lost his other granddaughter, Miracle Hughley, and a cousin, Ja'neice Hicks, who all died in a house fire early Thursday at 911 Landsdowne Ave. N.W. in Warren.
Neighbors and friends said the family had been celebrating with a cookout just a few short hours before the fire broke out. The State Fire Marshal's office has determined that the fatal fire was most likely the result of an unattended charcoal grill. Radiant heat from the grill most likely caused the fire, which then spread to the upper level of the home, investigators said.
"This was the most fire fatalities that we have ever encountered. We've had three fatalities on four separate occasions but no more than three at any one time, so this is our darkest day," said Warren Fire Chief Ken Nussle.
The chief said there were no working smoking detectors in the home.
Benard said when he got to the house, his son and daughter-in-law had been taken to the hospital but his grandchildren were still in the home.
"Fire department brought them out, and there were four, so that was it," Benard said.
"My daughter, a sweet family, I love my grandkids, beautiful kids, Derek loved to draw, Ariell loved computers, my daughter liked to travel, and I am going to miss them," Betty Johnson said.
According to Warren City School officials, Ariell was a third-grader at McGuffey K-8 School, where Derek Dorsey Jr. was a fifth-grader. Miracle Hughley was a third-grader at Jefferson K-8 School. Their cousin, Ja'niece Hicks, was visiting from out of town and was in the fifth-grade, according to family members.
The fire broke out just before 4:45 a.m. Nussle said it was reported by only one person -- a resident on nearby Lovers Lane -- and when firefighters arrived in the area, they found the home engulfed, with flames already reaching up to 30 feet high.
Firefighters believe the fire started several minutes before it was reported.
"It made considerable headway," said Nussle. "Considerable."
The two adults were found on the first floor of the home, and the four children were found on the second. They were quickly pulled from the home and treated, but all died from their injuries, said firefighters.
"It was a bad situation," said firefighter Rick Yauger. "There was heavy damage to the upstairs portion of the house. A lot of the debris from the fire had fallen on the children in their bedroom. We literally had to dig the first couple of victims out to move them out of the bedroom."
While firefighters cleared the scene by about 7:30 a.m., Nussle said investigators stayed throughout the day to sift through the rubble and determine exactly what happened. A K-9 unit was also called in to help, said Nussle.
"We're calling the K-9 just because of the fire damage and the six fatalities," he said. "We're going to cover all the bases on this."
Warren Mayor Michael O'Brien said there will be grief counseling for anyone affected by the fire, including family and friends, at both Jefferson and McGuffey elementary schools in Warren again on Friday.
