3 Children Killed, 4th Child and Parents Hurt in House Fire

A fast-moving fire destroyed a family’s trailer home, tragically killing three young children and injuring a fourth child and their parents, authorities said Tuesday.

Oneida County 911 dispatchers received a call late Monday night reporting the fire in the city of Rome. Intense flames engulfed the home of Patrick and Gabrielle Croad when emergency crews arrived, troopers said.

Troopers on Tuesday identified the dead children as 2-year-old Temprince, 3-year-old Patrick III, and 4-year-old Elise.

The fourth child, 1-year-old Kaydence, was being treated at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse for burns to both arms and the parents were taken to the same hospital. Patrick Croad, 25, was being evaluated, while his 24-year-old wife, Gabrielle, was being treated for second-degree burns.

The cause of the blaze is being investigated. Fire officials told the Rome Sentinel that there’s no indication the fire was intentionally set.

Officials said smoke detectors in the mobile home woke the parents, who managed to escape out a back door with the infant. Patrick and Gabrielle Croad tried to go back in through the front door to reach their three other children, but the fire was too intense, officials said.

When fire crews arrived the home was fully engulfed in flames. “The fire was of such magnitude that it was impossible to enter the trailer,” said deputy Fire Chief Thomas Iacovissi.

Firefighters doused the flames in 15 minutes. The bodies of the three children were found in their bedrooms.