Cause sought for deadly fire in McKeesport

Oct. 18--Four young children, their mother and the woman's father-in-law perished in a Saturday morning house fire in McKeesport that was one of the deadliest in recent memory.

Found dead in a second-floor bedroom of the wooden home at 310 Express Alley were 27-year-old Hope Jordan Egenlauf, her 7-year-old son, Dominic Jordan; a 6-year-old daughter, Autumn Jordan, a 3-year-old daughter, Serenity Jakub; and 2-year-old daughter Victoria Jordan.

Ronald Edward Egenlauf, 55, whom the children called "Pappy Ed," perished in his first-floor room. Paralyzed on his left side from a stroke seven years ago, he used a wheelchair, according to two of his sisters, Donna Ackerman and Mary Benton, both of whom were at the scene.

Mr. Egenlauf's son, Keith, 23, escaped but is in critical condition in the burn unit of UPMC Mercy.

Authorities did not say what caused the fire, but Alvin Henderson Jr., the Allegheny County fire marshal and chief of Emergency Services, was at the scene said Saturday morning and said there was no indication it was suspicious in nature.

Ms. Jordan and Keith Egenlauf were married in December 2013. Their anniversary would have been on Dec. 7, said Laverne Egenlauf, Mr. Egenlauf's mother.

Theirs was a typical love story, she said, smiling through her tears. They fell in love fast and got married fast.

"They shared one Facebook page. They shared one phone. They were just talking about wanting to renew their vows," Ms. Egenlauf said.

Ms. Egenlauf referred to the four children as her own grandchildren; her son wanted to legally adopt them, she said. Everywhere he went, one of the kids went, too. They called him "Dad" and she was Grandma. Dominic, who attended Twin Rivers Primary School, was a "little man." Autumn, her "little princess." Serenity always wanted to talk to her on the phone.

As she looked at photos on a cell phone to verify her grandchildren, Ms. Egenlauf covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking.

"There's just no words, no words," Ms. Egenlauf said.

"Everything was coming together," said Lisa Lakenan, Ms. Jordan Egenlauf's sister-in-law, as she stared at the charred home later in the day. She had spoken to her Friday night. The mother of four had been making cookies. The kids had been watching "Frozen" and "Paw Patrol."

"She was so happy last night when I talked to her," said Ms. Lakenan, clutching a bouquet of flowers wrapped in purple tissue paper. "Keith was so happy. They loved each other."

Tommy McPherson, a half-brother of Hope Jordan Egenlauf, said that, "she was finally getting her life together. She got married last year. She just liked to be with her kids."

Ms. Egenlauf said that when the fire broke out, Keith went after his father and Ms. Jordan went for the children. By the time Ms. Jordan reached them, the fire was already too severe for them to escape, she said.

Andrew Jakub, 26, stood a block away from the burned home, bemoaning the loss of his daughter,

"Serenity lived with me," Mr. Jakub said. "I let her mother have her for three weeks."

Officials said the fire broke out around 6:42 a.m. and destroyed the two-story frame house.

Mr. Henderson, the fire marshal, was unable to provide any information about the cause or origin of the blaze. "This is a major fatal fire," he said.

"It's just an unbelievably sad day for our city," McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko said. "Sitting here, mourning the loss of four kids and two adults, all I can do at this time is send my condolences to the family and friends of the victims."

Ms. Egenlauf said she does not think her son realizes that his wife, father and stepchildren are dead. She does not know who will tell him. "There's been so much tragedy on our side of the family," she said. "How much more can we take?"

Donna Ackerman, 53, of McKeesport, said her late brother, Ronald Egenlauf, was badly burned in a fire during the mid-1980s when he raced back into a burning residence and successfully rescued his stepdaughter, Tammy Warman.

Mrs. Ackerman said witnesses told her that Keith Egenlauf escaped Saturday's fire by jumping out of a window. Her sister, Mary Benton, 60, of Elizabeth Township, said Keith Egenlauf was a caregiver for his father. "He stuck beside his dad," she said.

The elder Mr. Egenlauf is survived by his wife of 33 years, Laverne Egenlauf, who lives in McKeesport Towers.

Allegheny County fire marshals measured and photographed bloody footprints on the porch of a home at 201 Pacific St., just across the street from the house where the family died.

James Grimes, 31, lives there with his mother, Adrienne. Mr. Grimes said he heard someone pounding at his front door at 6:30 a.m. Saturday but when he opened it, saw only the bloody footprints. The big toe print, he said, looked like that of a man's.

Ms. Egenlauf said Keith ran to two neighbors for help before realizing he could not get back inside his home.

Allegheny County Medical Examiner Karl Williams said he did not anticipate releasing official information about the victims' identities or cause and manner of their deaths until today at the earliest.

"At this point, what we decide on how to go from here depends on [the pathologist's] evaluation of the scene and a careful examination of the bodies," Dr. Williams said.

Theodore Schleifer, a funeral home owner based in North Braddock, offered to handle funeral arrangements at no charge and to negotiate a price for caskets. Because they do not have insurance, the family has an account set up on GoFundMe.com/?fzimns to help with expenses for Ms. Jordan Egenlauf and her children. By 6 p.m., $500 had been raised.

"Everybody we know is trying to raise money for the burial," Ms. Lakenan said.

Anya Litvak contributed. Marylynne Pitz: [email protected], 412-263-1648. Madasyn Czebiniak: [email protected], 412-263-1269

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