Grandfather, 3 Granddaughters Killed In Crete House Fire: Coroner

CRETE, IL — Four family members—now identified as a man and his three granddaughters—were found dead after a house fire in Crete overnight.

The Will County Coroner's Office on Wednesday afternoon identified the victims as Walter Palmer, 71, and three girls. The coroner's office did not identify the juvenile victims or provide ages. All four were pronounced dead at 5:45 a.m., the coroner's office said.

CBS 2 Chicago is reporting the girls as Cassidy, 16, Mary, 10, and Ivory, 8.

Crete Fire Department Chief Neil Haemker confirmed the four to be a grandfather and his granddaughters. Palmer was reportedly raising the girls after their mother died of cancer, according to WGN.

"He was the greatest guy," neighbor Rosie Wilson told WGN. "He wanted to keep his granddaughters all together and doing a good job. He had some health issues, also losing his wife five years ago. He’s had tragedy after tragedy. This was the utmost for something like this to happen."

Crete-Monee School District 201-U said in a social media post that two girls were students at Monee Elementary and one was a Crete-Monee High School student.

Crete fire crews responded just before 1 a.m. to a reported fire on Chalet Court, said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon. A full still alarm was called.

After initial entry, conditions inside the home worsened, pushing crews back out. The roof collapsed, and high heat prevented crews' entry. The attack went defensive, and crews battled the blaze for 40 minutes before getting it under control.

Once inside, crews found four people dead, now identified as the man and three girls.

"It's devastating," Haemker said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office, and multiple accidental causes are being investigated, Haemker said.

"This is a devastating time for our school community," wrote D201-U Superintendent Dr. Kara Coglianese. "Out of respect for the family’s privacy and because circumstances are still being confirmed, we cannot share additional details at this time. We are all grieving together, and we will do everything we can to support our students, staff, and families in the days ahead."

Coglianese said the district would provide additional support staff including counselors and social workers for students.

If your child or someone in your home is in immediate distress or needs urgent help, please call or text the Crisis Lifeline at 988 or call 911, Coglianese wrote.

"We will continue to communicate as we are able to do so, including sharing information about available support and opportunities for our community to come together to care for one another," she wrote. "In the meantime, please join us in keeping the victims and their loved ones in our thoughts."