ELWOOD, Ind. -- A house fire early Tuesday claimed the life of an 8-year-old Madison County boy who had cerebral palsy, officials said.

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Boy Dies In Morning House Fire

Mark Adam Norris II, who was unable to walk because of the disorder, was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire, from which his mother and two siblings escaped unharmed.

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Firefighters said the mother, Jennifer Norris, and her three children were alseep in the single-story house when the fire started. A dog woke up the occupants who escaped, officials said.

The house was in flames when firefighters arrived around 4 a.m. Officials said it took around 25 minutes to get the fire under control.

At least one police officer tried enter the home to rescue the boy, but the officer was driven back by heat and smoke.

Officials said an electrical short in a fan may have caused the flames.

Members of Mark's family, including his grandmother Terrie Chitwood, grieved outside the home Tuesday.

"He couldn't walk, he couldn't talk. He was just special -- one of God's little angels," Chitwood said.

The house didn't have a working smoking detector, officials said.

The Salvation Army is assisting the family, RTV6 reported.

Elwood, a town of about 9,000 residents, is about 45 miles northeast of Indianapolis.