Mother, 4 children dead after Canton house fire
Four children and mother killed in Canton house fire
27-year-old Jasmine Henson and four young children died in a Canton house fire Wednesday.
CANTON, Texas - A mother and her four children are dead following an early morning house fire on Wednesday.
Multiple children killed in Van Zandt County house fire
Three children were killed in Van Zand County after a house fire broke out, and a fourth child is reportedly in critical condition in the hospital. FOX 4's Lori Brown has more.
What we know:
The fire happened around 12:30 a.m. near County Road 4127 and County Road 4128 in Canton.
When firefighters arrived, they learned the mother, father, and the children's grandmother who lived on the property had escaped the house, but four children remained inside.
Firefighters entered the home and found the children.
An 8-year-old boy, a 5-year-old boy, and a 3-year-old girl died at the scene.
Emergency crews life-flighted a 9-year-old boy and his 27-year-old mother to Parkland Memorial Hospital.
According to the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office, 27-year-old Jasmine Henson and her son died on Wednesday.
Ambulances took the father and the grandmother to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
What they're saying:
Members of the Van Zandt community gathered outside the county courthouse on Wednesday to pray for the family, along with the family of a Van Zandt County sheriff's deputy who was also killed in an overnight shooting.
"As a parent, it is an unthinkable situation to lose a child. To lose three. I, I just couldn't wrap my mind around that. And we have, you know, I did not know those folks. I knew the grandfather, know the grandfather through his many years in law enforcement. Here to lose three grandkids, to have a daughter in the hospital, to have another grandkid in the hospital. I can't imagine how he's mentally keeping it together. The only way a man is able to do that is through strength of faith and strength of character. And so, heavy prayers, heavy prayers to all of those folks," said Judge Joshua Winters.
The Van Zandt County Peace Officers Association asked the community on Facebook to keep the family in their prayers.
"Our hearts are absolutely broken for the Henson family as they face an unimaginable tragedy. A devastating house fire has claimed the lives of four precious young souls, while a mother remains in critical condition. Please keep them in your prayers."
The Canton community is quickly jumping in to help the family, including plans to host a benefit barbecue this weekend.
What we don't know:
Officials have not said what caused the fire.
The Source: The information in this article comes from the Van Zandt County Fire Marshal's Office.