State police fire marshals are investigating the origin and cause.
CLYMER, Pa. — A father and his two young daughters were killed early Friday when a fast-moving fire engulfed a duplex in this Indiana County borough, trapping them inside as other residents fled. State police said fire marshals are investigating what started the blaze.
The deaths of 34-year-old Kirk Lee Fabiszewski and his daughters, ages 7 and 4, stunned a small community that woke to sirens and flames before dawn. Investigators say they do not suspect foul play, but the fire left key questions unanswered, including where it started inside the duplex and how it spread so quickly through both occupied units. Officials said relatives and aid groups were helping those displaced as investigators worked to document the scene and determine the cause.
Crews were dispatched at about 4:14 a.m. Feb. 13 to a duplex-style home in the 400 block of Hancock Street, Pennsylvania State Police said. When volunteer firefighters arrived, the building was fully involved, with flames consuming both sides of the duplex. Several people who had been inside were able to flee, state police said, but Fabiszewski and the two children did not make it out. “It certainly is a heartbreaking situation here this morning in Clymer Borough,” state police Trooper Cliff Greenfield said, adding that responders’ “hearts go out to the families involved and the whole Clymer community today.”
Investigators said the three victims were later found dead inside the home, along with two pet dogs. The Indiana County Coroner’s Office identified Fabiszewski as the adult who died in the fire. Officials have not released additional details about the children beyond their ages. Authorities said both portions of the duplex were occupied at the time of the fire, and several other people escaped to safety. The involved families were being assisted by relatives, state police said, and the American Red Cross was also involved, according to Greenfield. Police said the investigation remains active, with fire marshals working to determine the origin and cause.
Neighbors described waking to the sound of emergency vehicles and then watching the home deteriorate as crews fought the flames. Brenda Helman, who lives nearby, said the loss of children was hard to absorb. “Terrible. Children, a family. Want to make you cry,” Helman said. Another neighbor, Bernadette Polenik, said the deaths left the block shaken and struggling to understand how a normal night turned into tragedy. “I can’t even imagine how they’ll get through that. It’s very, very sad,” Polenik said. Residents said the girls’ mother and a brother survived, and they described another couple living in the other unit.
State police said members of the Troop A Fire Marshal Unit responded to the scene and are continuing to investigate. Troop A criminal investigators and patrol units also assisted, along with collision analysis specialists and forensic services personnel, according to a state police news release. The list of assisting agencies included the Indiana County Coroner’s Office, county emergency management and 911, Citizens’ Ambulance Service, and multiple area volunteer fire departments. Fire crews remained at the property for hours as they worked the fire and dealt with the hazards that can follow a major blaze, including unstable structures and utility problems.
Fire officials said the conditions they faced limited what could be done once they arrived. Clymer fire Chief Brett Gromley told a local news outlet that about 80% of the building was on fire when he got there and that only a small portion of the rear was still searchable at that moment. Firefighters pushed into the remaining livable space as they battled the blaze and tried to search for anyone still inside, officials said. Crews also worked to keep the fire from spreading to nearby apartments while coordinating mutual aid and managing scene safety.
Authorities have not said what sparked the fire or whether working smoke alarms were present. Investigators also have not released the layout of the duplex or details about where the victims were found. Those specifics often depend on interviews, a careful scene examination and lab work, particularly after a building has been heavily damaged. State police said no foul play is suspected, a statement that can narrow the focus to accidental causes such as electrical problems, heating equipment or cooking, though officials emphasized they are still working to determine the true origin and cause.
In the meantime, the human impact has spread beyond the victims’ family. Another household lost a home and belongings, and firefighters said the call took an emotional toll on responders who searched as flames intensified. In a message shared by the local volunteer fire company, officials offered condolences to the family that lost loved ones and noted resources would be made available to firefighters as they process the incident. The department also thanked mutual aid crews that helped fight the fire and support exhausted responders during a long operation in winter conditions.
The next public update is expected to come from state police fire marshals once the scene examination and interviews allow investigators to release more information. For now, authorities say the case remains under investigation and additional details will be released when appropriate.
Author note: Last updated February 15, 2026.