Three adults died in a house fire early Saturday morning in the small town of Lawton, which is seven miles east of Sioux City.
Woodbury County Sheriff Chad Sheehan said the victims called 911 at about 1:15 a.m. Saturday to say they were trapped on an upper floor of their burning home.
“When deputies arrived at 1:22 a.m., they reported flames visible and heavy smoke. Two minutes later, Lawton Fire arrived on scene and began fighting the fire,” he said. “A call for mutual aid was put out and multiple area community fire and EMS units assisted.”
Sheehan told reporters the victims were a man and his wife and their adult grandson.
“I’ve spoken to the family. The family certainly wants to express their appreciation for the outpouring of support from the community,” the sheriff said, “but as you might imagine they ask everyone to respect their privacy as they grieve this terrible loss.”
The State Fire Marshall has been called in to help investigate the cause of the fire.
(By Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City)