NINEVEH, Ind. (AP) - Crews have started removing the charred rubble of a central Indiana house where a fire killed a woman and two of her young children more than five months ago.
Christopher Abbott said demolition workers have given him several photographs they found since beginning work Saturday on the house in the small Johnson County town of Nineveh where his wife and children died Nov. 22 while he was at work.
Abbott drives by the home every day on his way to work but said the drive isn’t as painful as it used to be. He said that he and his surviving 6-year-old daughter are doing well, thanks to counseling at their church.
“I’m at peace with everything has happened, because I know my family’s with Jesus Christ and one day I’ll join them,” Abbott told he told WISH-TV (https://bit.ly/1hId42p ).
Authorities have said 18-month-old Hailey Lynn Slusher-Abbott and 6-month-old John Slusher-Abbott died after becoming trapped inside the burning duplex apartment. Their mother, 27-year-old Sirena Slusher-Abbott, was able to save a 5-year-old daughter, Allie, but the woman was badly injured and died from her injuries a few days later.
Abbott was at work when the fire started, as was the downstairs tenant.
Witnesses told investigators that Hailey had been playing with the candle in the home’s living room before the fire started. The house could not be removed until the investigation that ruled the fire accidental was completed.
Township Trustee Janet Renner said the demolition will ease a painful reminder.
“They just don’t want to relive it every day. It was hard for them. They came out to try and see what they could do. So it’s reliving it every day that’s it’s just really hard on them,” said Renner.
Renner said there are no plans to rebuild and the owner will likely sell the property.
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Information from: WISH-TV, https://www.wishtv.com/
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