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11 people in Brazil, Ind. house when deadly fire broke out

Posted at 11:50 PM, Dec 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-06 23:50:30-05

BRAZIL, Ind. -- An 18-year-old woman and two young children were killed in a fire at a home in Brazil, Indiana Monday evening.

The fire broke out at the house on East Mechanic Street around 8:30 p.m. 

Raven Elizabeth Tedder, 18, her daughter, 4-month old Zoiey Alaweigh Jane Tedder and Zoiey's brother, Syloi Leeland Dale Stewart, 4, all died in the fire. 

Brazil Fire Department Cheif Jake Bennett said the gas to the 3,000-square-foot house had been turned off and the residents were using kerosene and electric heaters to keep warm. Fire officials aren't sure if the heaters caused the fire.

There were 11 people inside the house Monday night at the time of the fire -- three adults and eight children. The victims were trapped on the second floor. 

Family members had used a ladder to try to rescue them from a window but were unable to get to them in time. 

A third child was also injured in the fire and was taken to Union Hospital in Terre Haute with non-life-threatening injuries.

Fire officials say there were no working smoke detectors inside the home. 

Two dogs survived the fire.

The Red Cross is working to assist the surviving family members to find temporary housing. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

Editor's note: A previous version of this article stated both children who died in the fire were infants. One was an infant; the other was 4 years old.