Five dead in rural Monroe County fire

UNIONVILLE, Ind. - Three children and their parents died Wednesday in a fire caused by the overuse of electric heaters in their rural Monroe County trailer home, officials said.\nAll died from smoke inhalation, carbon monoxide poisoning and burns, county Coroner David Toumey said.\nFirefighters called at 5:46 a.m. to the home 10 miles northeast of Bloomington arrived to find it engulfed in flames. They found five bodies in what remained of the trailer.\n"It appears they all died in their sleep," Tourney said.\nHe identified the victims as Tom Brown, 26; Dawn Brown, 22; Savanah Brown, 4; Isabella Brown, 17 months; and Tristin Brown, 2 months.\nThe deaths were ruled to be accidental.\nThe state fire marshal's office said the heaters overloaded the electrical system and its aluminum wiring. Aluminum is not designed for heavy loads of electricity, Toumey said.\nAt the time of the fire, temperatures in the area were about 13 degrees.