Memorial set for 3 siblings killed in Mpls. house fire

Updated: 6:00 p.m. | Posted: 3:55 p.m.

The friends and family of Latorianna Thomas will gather Wednesday to mourn her, on a day they should have been celebrating her second birthday.

The toddler and her siblings, 6-year-old Latorious and 5-year-old Latora, died this weekend in a north Minneapolis house fire.

Pastor Harding Smith said a memorial service for the children has been set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Spiritual Church of God in Robbinsdale.

Minneapolis Fire Chief John Fruetel said Sunday that the children and their mother, Taneisha Stewart, had just recently moved in to the home in the 2700 block of Penn Avenue North. The fire, he said, appears to have started in the kitchen, with an oven that had been turned on to keep the home warm.

The blaze spread quickly, with high heat and "extreme conditions," Fruetel said. Firefighters responding to the scene just before midnight Saturday could see the glow from down the street as they approached.

When rescuers arrived, they discovered that two of the children had already died inside the house. They rescued the third child, who died at a nearby hospital.

A summary of city inspection records released Monday shows only minor violations. The home's owner, who purchased the property in August of 2013, resolved all of the problems including a missing smoke detector, according to city records.

Pastor Smith said the children's mother, who was unhurt, is not doing well.

"I don't think any mother, after losing all her children, would even be able to talk at this point," he said. "And she's asking the community for their prayers. The family needs prayers right now more than anything."