4:43 Update: School officials confirm two students killed in house fire. Staff with North Cross issued the following statement.
This morning we received the tragic news that two North Cross School students, Patrick and Logan McKinnon, died in a house fire last night. Patrick was in fourth grade and Logan was a student in our kindergarten class.
Our community is devastated by the news. Our faculty and staff is working to support and comfort our students and the North Cross School community during this difficult time. Leigh Ann Hamlin, Director of Counseling, will help lead this effort. Members of the local counseling community will be on campus next week to help us. Counseling services will be available to students and will continue to be available throughout the week and longer, if needed.
We ask that the community keep the McKinnon family in your thoughts and prayers.
10:42 a.m. Update:
Rebekah Bradley Assistant to the Headmaster & Director of Social Media at North Cross School in Roanoke confirms that the two missing children are students at North Cross. Names and ages are not being released. Bradley says no additional information will be given by the school.
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ROANOKE CO. (WSLS 10) - Two children are missing after an early morning house fire. Roanoke County Fire and Rescue crews battled the fire Saturday at approximately 1:15 a.m. It happened in the 7600 block of Mt. Chestnut Road.
When the first crews arrived on the scene, they found a two-story wood construction home that was almost completely engulfed in flames. The fire had spread to the wooded area around the home. Initial reports indicated that several family members were missing and may be inside. Firefighters were able to make entry into the house and search for victims, but were soon instructed to evacuate due to unsafe conditions. Once fire crews exited the structure, a portion of the house collapsed.
Both career and volunteer crews from Cave Spring, Back Creek, Bent Mountain and Clearbrook stations assisted with the fire. Salem units also helped with medical transport.
A total of four adults and two children were transported to a local hospital. One of those victims is in critical condition. Meanwhile, fire crews say two children remain unaccounted for and are thought to be inside the burned home. The ages of the children have not yet been released.
Crews on the scene say the victims are family and guests of family visiting the home. The house is total loss.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.