MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — An infant boy died in an house fire in Martinsville Friday afternoon.
Police say four or five people were in the two-story apartment on South Home Avenue, near Nutter Street, when it caught fire shortly before 3 p.m. March 15. The fire was contained to an upstairs bedroom, police told 13News.
The Morgan County coroner said 3-month-old Colson Murtlow was found unresponsive in the apartment and was taken to the hospital, but died from his injuries. First responders said they did everything they could to resuscitate the child.
"It does take a toll on everybody involved. There have been a lot of guys who are beating themselves up they couldn't get inside to get a search completed until the fire department got on the scene," Martinsville Police Deputy Chief Austin Combs said. "Obviously, with the heat conditions and the smoke, they were pushed out. Very devastating and a huge impact to the community and it's definitely hard on the first responders."
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Ellis said this is the seventh fatal house fire he's responded to in the county in the last year.
"To me, with it being a small county, that's a lot. Any death in a fire is a lot to me. It could be attributed to carelessness. Who knows what all it could be attributed to? But it's hard for everybody," Ellis said.
It's especially hard for the parents of the young victim.
"I just think it's heartbreaking. I can't imagine ever having to go through that," neighbor Latosha Woolbright said.
"She needs a lot of support and prayers," said another neighbor, Mary Riffel.
Ellis told 13News the investigation into the fire will involve several agencies and will likely take a long time to complete.