WABASH, Ind. - An early-morning house fire Sunday killed three teenagers who were trapped on an upper floor despite efforts by a police officer who spotted the blaze and tried to rescue them.


Officer Josh Prater saw a fire at the home at 3:47 a.m., reported it to dispatch and tried to get inside the home to rescue the teens, but was turned back by smoke, flames and heat, police said.

Caitlin D. Burke, 17; Jacob J. Johnson, 15; and Jared R. Johnson; 13, died in the blaze, police said in a statement, while their parents Jared and Martha Johnson - who had told Prater the teens were trapped - escaped.

"I have known Jared and his family for years," neighbor Larry Easterday told the Wabash Plain Dealer. "It's such a shock that something like this could happen."

The cause of the fire wasn't immediately known.

"It is going to be a lengthy investigation and we have a lot of stuff to go through," Fire Department Chief Dean Weaver said." We have no clue if there was a smoke detector in the house; we are just trying to sort it all out."

The teens were students at Wabash City Schools. Superintendent Celia Herrell-Shand, in a telephone message to those in the district, urged people to offer thoughts and prayers for the family.

In the neighborhood, concern was focused Sunday on the family.

"My daughter and I always walked passed their house and saw the kids playing outside," said Tiffany Badman, another neighbor. "It's very sad what happened. It makes you wonder what could have happened."

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