A fatal fire on Gift Avenue in Peoria early Saturday morning is under investigation. 34-year-old Edward Gordon and two of his children: four year-old Emyrra and five year-old Eandre were killed in the fire.
The first 911 call reportedly came in about 3:12 a.m. They were pronounced dead between 4:00 and 4:10 Saturday morning at OSF St. Francis Medical Center.
Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll says preliminary autopsy results show the victims had at least double the amount of carbon monoxide intoxication that’s compatible with human life. Ingersoll says the results also show the victims were alive when the fire started.
Peoria Fire Chief Kent Tomblin says the second floor dormer of the home was completely engulfed in flames, but all three fire victims were found on the first floor. The father and daughter near the master bedroom door and the little boy was found in the hallway of the bungalow style house.
Edward Gordon’s girlfriend Rachelle Alexander and two other children apparently lived in the home but were not present at the time of the fire. Alexander told investigators they had argued over the last couple of weeks and she elected to spend the night away from the house with her child.
The 616 East Gift Avenue home appears to be a total loss. Chief Tomblin says so far they’ve found one smoke detector near the back door, but it did NOT have a battery. He says further neighbors did not hear a smoke detector sounding in the home.
Its still unclear if the fire might have been an electrical or mechanical malfunction or if an accelerant may have been involved. Fire department official say the incident “is under investigation.”