Second child dies following Hibbing house fire
Photo courtesy: Hibbing Fire Department
(KMSP) - A second child has died following a house fire in Hibbing, the fire department announced.
Steven Jon Gillitzer, 67, and his wife Patricia Lynn Gillitzer, 63, died while attempting to rescue their grandchildren, authorities said. Todd Jacob Gillitzer, 9, and Isaiah Anteus Adams, 3, also died as a result of the fire.
Steven worked as a captain for the Hibbing Fire Department for 24 years before retiring in 2000.
8-year-old Jonathan was the only person to survive the fire. He told authorities that he remembered being woken up by his grandfather who said there was a fire and that he needed to get out of the house. His grandfather threw him through the front door to safety before returning to save the rest of the family.
Crews battled the blaze in -20 degree temperatures. They were able to pull the other four out of the home, shortly before 2 a.m. None of them were breathing at the time. Crews managed to resuscitate the children, but they later died at the hospital.
The cause of the fire is unknown.