Three of 5 children died in a Garden Prairie house fire as firefighters continue the harrowing search for missing residents

FIVE people, including three children, are dead after a fire destroyed a home in Boone County early Monday morning.

The fire happened around 2:30 a.m. in Garden Prairie, Illinois, firefighters said.

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It was initially believed that two people had died and six others were hospitalized due to injuries related to the fire.

However, an update from fire officials confirmed five people had died inside the home.

The three children who died in the fire were students in the Belvedere School District. Their names are Aniela Tatman, Zofia Tatman and Danika Tatman.

The ages of all five victims were 9, 13, 14, 20 and 24.

Six people remain hospitalized and their condition is currently unknown. However, authorities said at least two people suffered from smoke inhalation.

A house, a shed and three vehicles caught fire, leaving residents trapped inside.

Due to the bad weather conditions, it took 16 minutes for the first firefighters to arrive at the scene. The nearest fire station was also unmanned, said Chief Brian Kunce of the Boone County Fire District #2.

According to Kunce, it took twice as long for emergency services to arrive.

“Right away we had six patients that we had to treat at the same time,” he said.

A Boone County sheriff’s deputy also suffered injuries while responding to the fire.

“We had fires out of pretty much every window,” Kunce said. “When the sheriff’s department arrived at the scene, they attempted rescues and assisted the victims prior to our arrival.

An investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshal and local authorities is underway to determine the cause of the fire.

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