OCONTO, Wis — Today we learned the identities of the four people found dead following a Friday house fire in the city of Oconto.
Police say the victims were 35-year-old Katherine Decoursin and her three school aged children, Dalton Schroeder, Jeri Schroeder and Nicholas Decoursin.
When a fire broke out Friday morning at an Oconto home the flames were so strong fire fighters weren't able to go inside for several hours, and extended family of the victims were forced to prepare for the worst.
"Right when I arrived they had said that they had not made it out," says Katherine’s Cousin Allison Bowles.
On Monday the Oconto Police department’s chief of police said that medical examiners told him, that the fire was likely the cause of everyone’s death and that no foul play was suspected.
"It's hard but we have banded together. We're trying to stay strong for her parents. We're trying to do as much as we can to ease their burden. It's difficult for us all but we're trying to stay strong for them," says Bowles describing her family keeping it together for the sake of Decoursin’s parents who are struck with grief.
Police say at this point the state Fire Marshal is investigating how the fire started and ultimately claimed the lives of four family members that include three school aged children that were everything to one proud mother.
"She was hard working, she loved her kids more than anything on this planet and she worked hard to make sure they could have a good life. She loved them with every bit of her soul," adds Bowles.
Investigators say Katherine’s husband and father to one of the boys, was at work at the time of the fire. And on Monday morning, even with all of the unanswered questions as to how this happened, one thing is clear; the community is showing their support.
"Nobody should have to think about financials at a time like this and it's been so great that everybody has been donating."
Allison says that within about 24 hours of this tragedy strangers, community members, and family have raised nearly 20-thousand dollars so that her family can help pay for funeral expenses of the four victims taken too soon.
"It’s hard to say how expensive it really will be, so every single cent helps so much to ease this burden," says Bowles.
Allison says that all of the money collected will go directly to the funeral costs associated with the untimely deaths of four family members who passed away much too young.
The donations are being collected at the NEW Credit Union and also through a Facebook page dedicated to all of the victims of the fire. If you would like to learn more about how to donate check out this link.
Original Story...
OCONTO (NBC 26) -- Police have identified the four people killed in an Oconto house fire Friday.
Firefighters were called to the house in Oconto just before 3 a.m. Friday. Emergency crews arrived to find the house engulfed in flames. Crews were not able go inside until several hours later because the house was unstable.
The four who died in the fire are Katherine DeCoursin, 35, and her three children: 15-year-old Jeri Schroeder, 13-year-old Dalton Schroeder and 11-year-old Nicholas DeCoursin.
Oconto Police Chief Mike Rehberg says officials are waiting for the State Fire Martial's Office to wrap up its investigation before releasing the cause of the fire.
