News Release

FREMONT — A woman and her three children died as a result of a Fremont house fire Saturday, Jan. 14.

According to an Indiana State Police press release, Rebecca White, 37, Fremont, her son Emmett Freed, 5, and her two daughters Eleanor Freed, 3, and Alaura Freed, 21 months, passed away.

The ISP and the state fire marshal’s office are currently investigating the fire.

According to the Steuben County dispatch record, at 5:02 a.m. Saturday, a 911 call was received reporting a house fire at 400 E. Toledo St.

The Fremont Fire Department was dispatched and on scene at approximately 5:09 a.m. at which time they found a working house fire. Angola, Orland, and Ashley-Hudson fire departments were also dispatched to the scene.

Firefighters located the victims inside the burning structure. They were transported to Cameron Hospital in Angola.

The three children were pronounced deceased at the hospital. White was flown by Parkview Samaritan helicopter to the burn center at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, where she eventually succumbed to her injuries.

Preliminarily, according to the SFMO, the fire appears to have started on the second floor in an area that was not occupied at the time. At this early stage of the investigation, it appears all four victims were in a single bedroom.

Agencies working the scene scene include Fremont Police, the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, Steuben County EMS, Steuben County Prosecutor’s Office and the Steuben County Coroner’s Office.