Officials Identify Victims, Boys Aged 14 and 10, in Evansville House Fire

EVANSVILLE — When I first started going through what happened on East Powell Street, it was immediately clear this wasn’t just another house fire story. Two brothers, only 14 and 10 years old, were killed, and a third child was left critically injured. Once you sit with that for a moment, the details hit differently.

The fire broke out early Sunday morning while the city was still asleep and temperatures were below freezing. By the time firefighters reached the two-story home, the situation had already turned tragic. The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office later identified the victims, bringing painful clarity to a night that unfolded in minutes but will leave a lasting mark on this family and the Evansville community.

If you’re reading this, you’re likely asking the same questions many people are asking right now. How did the fire spread so quickly? Why were the children unable to escape? And what do investigators actually know at this point — versus what may take weeks or even months to determine?

I want to walk you through what has been confirmed so far, what remains unanswered, and why fire officials are urging patience as the investigation moves forward. This isn’t about rumor or guesswork. It’s about understanding the facts, the response on the ground, and the real risks that come with house fires, especially in older homes.

As you read on, take a moment to think about your own space. If a fire started tonight, would you have enough warning to get out in time?

What Happened in the Evansville House Fire

When you strip everything down to the basics, this is what unfolded — and I’m laying it out clearly because I know your first question is simple: exactly hua kya?

• Early Sunday morning, around 1:45 a.m., a fire broke out
• Location was the 600 block of East Powell Street in Evansville
• The fire tore through a two-story residential home
• By the time the situation was under control, two children were dead
• One more child was critically injured and rushed for advanced care

This information has been confirmed through reporting by Courier & Press, which has been closely following the investigation and official briefings.

I’m starting here on purpose. Before emotions, before theories, you need a clean timeline. That’s how trust is built — you know what’s confirmed and what isn’t.

Victims Identified by Coroner’s Office

This is the part most reports rush through, but I don’t think they should.

The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office has publicly identified the two children who died in the fire:

• Jeramya Craig, age 14
• Paxton Craig, age 10
• The two were brothers
• Both died from injuries caused by the fire

Names and ages matter. When stories only say “two children,” it creates distance. Once you know who they were and how young they were, the reality becomes harder to ignore — and it should.

If you’re a parent, a sibling, or even just someone who grew up in a house like this, it likely hits closer to home now.

Third Child Critically Injured — What Is Known So Far

There was a third juvenile inside the home when the fire started, and this is what has been confirmed so far:

• The child suffered critical injuries
• They were transported to an Indianapolis hospital for treatment
• Authorities have not released the child’s name
• As of Monday, no official update on their condition had been shared

I want to be clear with you here: the lack of updates isn’t secrecy for drama. In cases involving minors and severe injuries, officials are careful — and they should be.

Right now, this part of the story remains open-ended. And if you’re following closely, it’s okay to sit with that uncertainty instead of jumping to conclusions.

As you keep reading, I want you to think about this: How much do you really know about the risks inside older homes — especially at night, when seconds matter most?

Were the Children Home Alone?

This is one of those details people immediately focus on, and I get why. Multiple reports indicate the children were home alone at the time of the fire. Naturally, that raises questions — but this is where it’s important to slow down.

Here’s what is actually known right now:

• Reports state no adults were inside the home when the fire started
• Officials have not assigned blame or suggested negligence
• No charges, violations, or responsibility claims have been made
• The investigation is still active, and key details haven’t been finalized

I want you to notice what’s not happening here. Investigators are not speculating, and they’re not pointing fingers. That restraint matters. Jumping to conclusions may feel satisfying, but it doesn’t help anyone understand what truly happened.

This part of the story needs care — especially when children are involved. Asking questions is fair. Making assumptions is not. Situations like this aren’t isolated, and similar questions around timing, supervision, and sudden fire spread have surfaced in other recent tragedies as well, including this Burnett County house fire where authorities confirmed three deaths.

Fire Department Response — Timeline and Rescue Efforts

Rapid Emergency Response

The emergency call didn’t come from inside the home. A passerby dialed 911 at 1:45 a.m., reporting the fire.

From there, the response moved fast:

• Engine 1 arrived in under three minutes
• More than two dozen firefighters and first responders were dispatched
• Equipment included a ladder truck and a rescue vehicle
• Crews faced freezing temperatures and active flames on arrival

If you’ve ever wondered how quickly help can realistically get to a house fire, this timeline matters. This wasn’t a delayed response.

Search and Rescue vs. Fire Suppression

Fire crews didn’t just focus on putting out flames. They split their efforts:

• One team worked to knock down the fire
• Another carried out search and rescue inside the home
• Two children were found on the first floor
• A third child was located upstairs
• All three were rushed to nearby hospitals
• The fire was fully extinguished in just over 40 minutes

This wasn’t chaos — it was a calculated, high-risk balance. Firefighters had to fight the fire and look for victims at the same time, knowing every second mattered. That level of risk isn’t unique to Evansville — similar fast-moving residential fires have injured both civilians and first responders, including this Wilmington home fire that injured four people, among them responding firefighters.

Understanding this helps you see the response as it actually was: aggressive, immediate, and focused on survival.

Officials Push Back on Foul Play Speculation

When people hear that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is involved, their minds often jump straight to foul play. Officials addressed that head-on.

Here’s what they clarified:

• ATF is assisting the Evansville Fire Department
• Their involvement does not suggest arson or criminal activity
• The reason is added expertise due to the severity of the fire and loss of life

Local coverage by 14 News Evansville reinforced this point, noting that ATF assistance is often standard in complex or fatal fire investigations.

If you’re reading closely, this matters. It tells you investigators are being thorough — not accusatory. Right now, the focus is on understanding how this fire started and why it spread so fast, not on assigning blame before facts are known.

As we move forward, ask yourself this: How often do we confuse “more investigation” with “something suspicious,” and what does that say about how we consume breaking news?

What Investigators Know About the Fire’s Origin

This is the question everyone keeps coming back to — and honestly, it’s the hardest one to answer right now.

Here’s what investigators have been able to confirm so far:

• The fire started on the first floor of the home
• Flames spread quickly upward to the second story
• The cause has not been determined
• Officials say the investigation could take weeks or even months
• Multiple agencies are involved:
  • Evansville Fire Department (EFD)
  • Evansville Police Department (EPD)
  • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

If you’re wondering why it takes that long, it’s because fire scenes don’t preserve evidence — they destroy it. Investigators have to rebuild the sequence piece by piece, ruling things out before they name a cause. That same challenge has appeared in other fatal house fires, where the destruction left behind makes it difficult to pinpoint an exact cause, such as this case in Sumas, Washington, where a man died after a fire engulfed his home.

I know that can feel frustrating when the loss is this severe. But slow doesn’t mean careless. It means they’re trying to get it right.

Balloon Construction — How the Home’s Design May Have Fueled the Fire

This is where the story shifts from what happened to why it may have happened this way — and it’s something most coverage barely explains.

What Is Balloon Construction?

• An older building method used in many multi-story homes
• Features long, continuous wall studs
• Studs run from the foundation all the way to the attic
• Common in houses built decades ago

On its own, that might not sound dangerous. But during a fire, it can be.

Why It’s Dangerous During Fires

• Open wall cavities act like vertical chimneys
• Flames can race upward inside the walls
• Fire spreads faster if there’s no fire blocking
• Upper floors can become dangerous within minutes

Chief Deputy Kim Garrett explained it plainly: once fire gets inside the walls, there’s often nothing to stop it from running straight up to the attic. That kind of spread can cut off escape routes before anyone realizes what’s happening.

Local reporting by WNIN News highlighted this construction issue as a key factor investigators are examining, especially in older Evansville homes.

If you live in an older house, this isn’t just background information. It’s something worth paying attention to.

Smoke Detectors and Other Unanswered Questions

This is where curiosity meets uncertainty — and where responsible reporting matters most.

Here’s what has not been confirmed publicly:

• Whether the home had working smoke detectors
• If alarms sounded before the fire spread
• What initially ignited the fire
• How quickly conditions became unsurvivable

Officials haven’t avoided these questions — they’ve just said it’s too early to answer them.

I know the instinct is to look for lessons right away. But until investigators finish their work, drawing conclusions could do more harm than good. Some answers will come. Others may not be clear at all.

Right now, restraint is part of telling the truth.

Firefighters React — The Emotional Toll on First Responders

There’s another side to this story that often gets lost once the headlines move on.

Chief Deputy Garrett didn’t hide how hard this call was on firefighters:

• Calls involving children hit differently
• Many firefighters on scene are parents themselves
• Professional training doesn’t erase emotional weight
• Crews still pushed forward, knowing lives were at stake

I want you to sit with that for a second. These are people trained to run toward danger — and even they carry these moments home.

Understanding that doesn’t change the outcome. But it does change how you see the response. This wasn’t just a job. It was a tragedy experienced up close by everyone involved.

As you think about everything you’ve read so far, let me ask you this: Do you know how your own home is built — and how quickly a fire could move through it if something went wrong?

What Happens Next in the Investigation

At this point, the investigation is moving into the slowest — and most careful — phase. There’s no quick answer coming, and officials have been upfront about that.

Here’s what you can realistically expect next:

• Investigators say determining the cause could take weeks or even months
• Fire scenes must be examined methodically, with evidence often reconstructed after the fact
• Possible outcomes range from an accidental ignition to an undetermined cause if damage is too extensive
• If any safety issues are identified, officials may share those findings publicly
• Updates will likely come in stages, not all at once

If you’ve been following this story closely, this explains the silence you may notice in the days ahead. A lack of updates doesn’t mean nothing is happening — it usually means the work happening can’t be rushed.

I’d like to hear from you.
What part of this investigation are you most concerned about — the cause, the safety questions, or how quickly answers will come? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s talk about it respectfully.

And if stories like this make you think more seriously about home safety, construction, or fire risks in older houses, you’ll find deeper, practical guides over on Build Like New. The goal there is simple: help you understand your home before something goes wrong.

Disclaimer: This article is based on information publicly available at the time of publication from law enforcement, fire officials, and verified local news sources. The investigation into the Evansville house fire is ongoing, and details may change as authorities release new findings.