SCARVILLE - Officials will continue their investigation today to determine the cause of a fire that claimed the lives of three children and their grandfather at a rural Winnebago County residence early Saturday morning.
The fire was discovered when the children's mother, Michelle Janka, and a friend, Jason Jensen, returned home around 5 a.m. to find the house at 14519 490th St., Scarville, filled with smoke, according to a report from Winnebago County Sheriff Thomas Lillquist.
Michael Awe, Jade Michael Janka, Hailey Riker, Samuel Riker, Jr.
Janka's father, Michael Awe, 52, and her three children - Hailey Riker, 7, Samuel Riker, Jr., 6, and Jade Michael Janka, 4, all died of smoke inhalation, according to Dr. David Sloan, a pathologist at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, who performed the autopsies.
According to the sheriff's report, Janka and Jensen made several attempts to get into the house but were unable to find the children or Janka's father due to the heat and heavy smoke.
Jensen remained at the scene, trying to rouse someone in the house, while Janka went to the nearest farmhouse, rousing 72-year-old Darlyne Engebretson.
"Poor Michelle was pounding on my door, screaming that her house was on fire and she couldn't get in to find her kids," said Engebretson, who called the fire department then hurried to the Janka house to help.
"It was terrible," Engebretson said. "You couldn't get close to the house. It was an inferno."
The body of Jade Janka was found in the living room and the two older children and Awe were found in his second- floor bedroom, Scarville Fire Chief Dave Kramer said.
"When we arrived, about 10 minutes after we got the call, there were flames shooting out of almost every window in the house," Kramer said. "It was so full of smoke and flames, we couldn't get inside to find anyone. … We just did the best we could to put the fire out. We even had a boom truck from Heartland Coop and were spraying water through the roof."
Investigation into the cause of the fire has been turned over to State Fire Marshal Michael Keefe, who said he expects to spend most of today "digging through the rubble. At this point, I will not speculate as to the cause," Keefe said Sunday night.
And while authorities continue to look into the cause of the fatal fire, friends and relatives are grieving, Engebretson said.
"They were such special children. Little Jade would sometimes call me Grandma and I took them to Sunday school," Engebretson said, her voice choked with emotion. "And I was so proud of Michelle when she went back to school and passed the class so she could work as a nurse's aid. Things had been rough, but she was working hard to straighten out her life."
Authorities have not released any information as to whether the house was equipped with smoke detectors.
But Awe, who was deaf, would not have heard the alarms sounding, according to Engebretson.
"He could not hear and he didn't talk. But those kids liked their grandpa and sure could communicate with him. And Michelle was very good to him," Engebretson said.
Co-workers at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa started a fund drive for Janka whose household possessions were also lost in the fire.
The fire was discovered when the children's mother, Michelle Janka, and a friend, Jason Jensen, returned home around 5 a.m. to find the house at 14519 490th St., Scarville, filled with smoke, according to a report from Winnebago County Sheriff Thomas Lillquist.
Michael Awe, Jade Michael Janka, Hailey Riker, Samuel Riker, Jr.
Janka's father, Michael Awe, 52, and her three children - Hailey Riker, 7, Samuel Riker, Jr., 6, and Jade Michael Janka, 4, all died of smoke inhalation, according to Dr. David Sloan, a pathologist at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, who performed the autopsies.
According to the sheriff's report, Janka and Jensen made several attempts to get into the house but were unable to find the children or Janka's father due to the heat and heavy smoke.
Jensen remained at the scene, trying to rouse someone in the house, while Janka went to the nearest farmhouse, rousing 72-year-old Darlyne Engebretson.
"Poor Michelle was pounding on my door, screaming that her house was on fire and she couldn't get in to find her kids," said Engebretson, who called the fire department then hurried to the Janka house to help.
"It was terrible," Engebretson said. "You couldn't get close to the house. It was an inferno."
The body of Jade Janka was found in the living room and the two older children and Awe were found in his second- floor bedroom, Scarville Fire Chief Dave Kramer said.
"When we arrived, about 10 minutes after we got the call, there were flames shooting out of almost every window in the house," Kramer said. "It was so full of smoke and flames, we couldn't get inside to find anyone. … We just did the best we could to put the fire out. We even had a boom truck from Heartland Coop and were spraying water through the roof."
Investigation into the cause of the fire has been turned over to State Fire Marshal Michael Keefe, who said he expects to spend most of today "digging through the rubble. At this point, I will not speculate as to the cause," Keefe said Sunday night.
And while authorities continue to look into the cause of the fatal fire, friends and relatives are grieving, Engebretson said.
"They were such special children. Little Jade would sometimes call me Grandma and I took them to Sunday school," Engebretson said, her voice choked with emotion. "And I was so proud of Michelle when she went back to school and passed the class so she could work as a nurse's aid. Things had been rough, but she was working hard to straighten out her life."
Authorities have not released any information as to whether the house was equipped with smoke detectors.
But Awe, who was deaf, would not have heard the alarms sounding, according to Engebretson.
"He could not hear and he didn't talk. But those kids liked their grandpa and sure could communicate with him. And Michelle was very good to him," Engebretson said.
Co-workers at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa started a fund drive for Janka whose household possessions were also lost in the fire.
SCARVILLE - Officials will continue their investigation today to determine the cause of a fire that claimed the lives of three children and their grandfather at a rural Winnebago County residence early Saturday morning.
The fire was discovered when the children's mother, Michelle Janka, and a friend, Jason Jensen, returned home around 5 a.m. to find the house at 14519 490th St., Scarville, filled with smoke, according to a report from Winnebago County Sheriff Thomas Lillquist.
Michael Awe, Jade Michael Janka, Hailey Riker, Samuel Riker, Jr.
Janka's father, Michael Awe, 52, and her three children - Hailey Riker, 7, Samuel Riker, Jr., 6, and Jade Michael Janka, 4, all died of smoke inhalation, according to Dr. David Sloan, a pathologist at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, who performed the autopsies.
According to the sheriff's report, Janka and Jensen made several attempts to get into the house but were unable to find the children or Janka's father due to the heat and heavy smoke.
Jensen remained at the scene, trying to rouse someone in the house, while Janka went to the nearest farmhouse, rousing 72-year-old Darlyne Engebretson.
"Poor Michelle was pounding on my door, screaming that her house was on fire and she couldn't get in to find her kids," said Engebretson, who called the fire department then hurried to the Janka house to help.
"It was terrible," Engebretson said. "You couldn't get close to the house. It was an inferno."
The body of Jade Janka was found in the living room and the two older children and Awe were found in his second- floor bedroom, Scarville Fire Chief Dave Kramer said.
"When we arrived, about 10 minutes after we got the call, there were flames shooting out of almost every window in the house," Kramer said. "It was so full of smoke and flames, we couldn't get inside to find anyone. … We just did the best we could to put the fire out. We even had a boom truck from Heartland Coop and were spraying water through the roof."
Investigation into the cause of the fire has been turned over to State Fire Marshal Michael Keefe, who said he expects to spend most of today "digging through the rubble. At this point, I will not speculate as to the cause," Keefe said Sunday night.
And while authorities continue to look into the cause of the fatal fire, friends and relatives are grieving, Engebretson said.
"They were such special children. Little Jade would sometimes call me Grandma and I took them to Sunday school," Engebretson said, her voice choked with emotion. "And I was so proud of Michelle when she went back to school and passed the class so she could work as a nurse's aid. Things had been rough, but she was working hard to straighten out her life."
Authorities have not released any information as to whether the house was equipped with smoke detectors.
But Awe, who was deaf, would not have heard the alarms sounding, according to Engebretson.
"He could not hear and he didn't talk. But those kids liked their grandpa and sure could communicate with him. And Michelle was very good to him," Engebretson said.
Co-workers at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa started a fund drive for Janka whose household possessions were also lost in the fire.
The fire was discovered when the children's mother, Michelle Janka, and a friend, Jason Jensen, returned home around 5 a.m. to find the house at 14519 490th St., Scarville, filled with smoke, according to a report from Winnebago County Sheriff Thomas Lillquist.
Michael Awe, Jade Michael Janka, Hailey Riker, Samuel Riker, Jr.
Janka's father, Michael Awe, 52, and her three children - Hailey Riker, 7, Samuel Riker, Jr., 6, and Jade Michael Janka, 4, all died of smoke inhalation, according to Dr. David Sloan, a pathologist at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, who performed the autopsies.
According to the sheriff's report, Janka and Jensen made several attempts to get into the house but were unable to find the children or Janka's father due to the heat and heavy smoke.
Jensen remained at the scene, trying to rouse someone in the house, while Janka went to the nearest farmhouse, rousing 72-year-old Darlyne Engebretson.
"Poor Michelle was pounding on my door, screaming that her house was on fire and she couldn't get in to find her kids," said Engebretson, who called the fire department then hurried to the Janka house to help.
"It was terrible," Engebretson said. "You couldn't get close to the house. It was an inferno."
The body of Jade Janka was found in the living room and the two older children and Awe were found in his second- floor bedroom, Scarville Fire Chief Dave Kramer said.
"When we arrived, about 10 minutes after we got the call, there were flames shooting out of almost every window in the house," Kramer said. "It was so full of smoke and flames, we couldn't get inside to find anyone. … We just did the best we could to put the fire out. We even had a boom truck from Heartland Coop and were spraying water through the roof."
Investigation into the cause of the fire has been turned over to State Fire Marshal Michael Keefe, who said he expects to spend most of today "digging through the rubble. At this point, I will not speculate as to the cause," Keefe said Sunday night.
And while authorities continue to look into the cause of the fatal fire, friends and relatives are grieving, Engebretson said.
"They were such special children. Little Jade would sometimes call me Grandma and I took them to Sunday school," Engebretson said, her voice choked with emotion. "And I was so proud of Michelle when she went back to school and passed the class so she could work as a nurse's aid. Things had been rough, but she was working hard to straighten out her life."
Authorities have not released any information as to whether the house was equipped with smoke detectors.
But Awe, who was deaf, would not have heard the alarms sounding, according to Engebretson.
"He could not hear and he didn't talk. But those kids liked their grandpa and sure could communicate with him. And Michelle was very good to him," Engebretson said.
Co-workers at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa started a fund drive for Janka whose household possessions were also lost in the fire.
Gravesite Details
buried with Jensen/Riker/Janka
Family Members
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