An Auglaize County house fire in which two sisters perished is being investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Here are the key facts of the story so far:
- Victims are Trinity Lhamon, 10, and Keelin Doty, 7
- Fire cause undetermined, doesn't appear suspicious
- Man passing home spotted fire
- Investigators won't say if girls were home alone
UPDATE @ 10:47 a.m. (March 29)
Grief counselors are on hand in Waynesfield-Goshen Local Schools, where students are returning from spring break and the first day back after two young sisters were killed in a house fire.
Superintendent J. Chris Pfister said classmates of Trinity and Keelin Doty are making condolence cards for the family and counselors are there to assist in the grieving process.
It was standing-room only during a memorial service Monday night held at the high school gym. A prayer service held Friday at the high school stadium was well-attended as well.
The investigation into the March 23 fatal fire on Ohio 196, north of Waynesfield in Auglaize County, is ongoing, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
UPDATE @ 1:08 p.m. (March 28):
A community memorial service for Trinity Lhamon and Keelin Doty will be held Monday night at 6 p.m. at Waynefield-Goshen High School in the gymnasium.
The family has requested those attending to wear purple and orange in memory of the girls, since the colors were their favorite.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Trinity & Keelin Doty benefit account at any Superior Credit Union location. Any contributions will be used to create a 4-H scholarship in their memory.
A private family burial is being planned for a later date at Willow Branch Cemetery.
UPDATE @ 1:39 p.m. (March 25)
William Krugh, spokesman for State Fire Marshal’s Office, said the investigation into Wednesday’s fatal fire “remains open and ongoing.”
The office would not answer questions about whether the girls were home alone at the time of the fire, nor address social media reports that dogs were inside the home.
Krugh said the fire is not considered suspicious, but would not release any further information. He said all information would be included in a final report, including reports from assisting agencies.
“The investigators do not render a cause or origin until they are 100 percent certain of their findings and all other necessary reports are received,” Krugh said in an email.
Calls to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office return a busy signal.
Krugh said investigators are currently interviewing people in the case.
“There’s a lead investigator, but for cases like this that are pretty high profile, fatalities, extensive damage, there are several assigned,” Krugh said.
Chief Deputy Mike Eberle, of the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office, said his office’s involvement was to assist the local volunteer fire department and the state office.
“We sent detectives out to help get witness information and took statements,” Eberle said.
While few details are being released about this fatal fire, Krugh spoke generally about fatal fire investigations done by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
“If it is a fatal fire, the investigators work closely with the coroner’s office during the first phase of the investigation,” Krugh said in an email.
UPDATE @ 12:26 p.m. (March 25)
We are continuing to investigate into this week’s fatal fire in Auglaize County that killed two girls. Neither family nor fire investigators will say if the girls were alone in the house when the fire started.
A passerby that called 911 reported seeing no one outside the house.
UPDATE @ 8:15 p.m. (March 24):
A 911 call revealed a passerby discovered the fire that killed two sisters Wednesday morning.
“I was driving by and I just saw it, and it’s burning pretty good,” the man told dispatchers.
The dispatcher asked the caller if he saw anyone and the caller said there was no one outside the home when he arrived.
The fire claimed the lives of Trinity Rose Lhamon, 10, and Keelin Michelle Doty, 7. The sisters were in first and third grades at Waynesfield Goshen Local Schools.
The third-grade teacher of Trinity said she was always full of energy and a joy in the classroom.
“She made friends with everyone,” said Janet Patton. “She just is a beautiful little girl.”
Patton said the first day back at school Tuesday following spring break will be an emotional day.
“We’re just going to have a lot of hugs,” she said.
A sign outside the Wayne Twp. Fire Department is asking for prayers for the Waynesfield community following the girls’ deaths. The sign reads “Prayers for the community #WaynesfieldStrong.”
Funeral services for the sisters are pending at Schlosser Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Wapakoneta.
UPDATE @ 9:32 p.m. (March 23):
The sisters killed in the Auglaize County house fire were inseparable, family members said at a prayer service tonight at New Hampshire Community Church.
Jeanie Waitman, Trinity and Keelin Doty’s great-aunt, told News Center 7’s Natalie Jovonovich, “Trinity and Keelan were such happy babies, they were always doing things together with their dad and mom. They were always laughing and chasing each other and [parents] Shawn and Amanda were always right there beside them, doing things with them.”
When fire crews arrived, the house in the 18,000 block of Ohio 196, north of Waynesfield, was fully engulfed in flames. A neighbor reported the fire to 9-1-1 at 6:43 a.m.
Chief Albert Presnell, Wayne Twp. Fire & Rescue, said, “With so much fire, it made the inside interior rescue impossible so they went to the exterior attack.”
Fire crews from Uniopolis and Westminster provided assistance Additional help came from the Ohio Highway Patrol, Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office, the county victim’s assistance program and the Critical Incident Stress Management Team of Allen County.
“We pretty well know everybody in the community,” the chief said, so this tragedy “makes it very difficult for everyone.”
Autopsies are to be performed by the Lucas County Coroner’s Office.
Presnell said the children’s parents are staying with family, away from the area. All that’s left of the home now is a memorial, set up where the front porch used to be.
It’s the first day of Spring Break, so classes in the Waynesfield-Goshen Local School District won’t resume until Tuesday. Superintendent Chris Pfister said a plan is in place to handle talking to students about the victims, who were in the first and fourth grades.
They were “wonderful little children, so the entire community is just really saddened over this whole thing,” Pfister said. “You hate this when you have young children in your school district that lose their lives.”
Waitman made it clear that while the community is devastated, the unity in the community will not wane. Comments of support have flooded social media and already, one GoFundMe account set up to help the family has a balance of $20,000.
“It’s been hard, we’re trying to stay strong,” she said. “We’re rallying around each other and nobody’s left alone. We’re all together. It’s just going to take a little time for it to sink in.”
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