‘This is a gut punch’: Mom, 5 children, including infant killed in house fire, officials say

CLARKSVILLE, Ohio. (WXIX/Gray News) - An Ohio mother and her five children were killed in a house fire, according to officials.

The house caught fire around 6:40 a.m. Tuesday.

Firefighters found five children, including an infant, and their mother dead inside the home.

Clinton County EMA Director Thomas Breckel said firefighters also found a man believed to be the children’s father in the kitchen. As of now, he remains in the hospital.

“This is a gut punch,” Breckel said. “This is a tight, small community. There’s one stoplight, everyone knows everyone’s names, we pass them by the street, and for something like this to happen in the middle of the morning, it’s taken a lot out of the community.”

Eight firefighters were also injured while trying to put out the flames. They have since been treated and are expected to be OK.

As of now, the cause of the fire is unknown.