6 family members killed in house fire, sheriff’s office says

NECEDAH, Wis. (WMTV/Gray News) - A house fire in Wisconsin has left six family members dead, according to authorities.

The Juneau County Sheriff’s Office said the early Sunday morning house fire was reported via a 911 call.

The caller reportedly believed there were two or three people still inside the house located on Morro’s Mile Road in Necedah.

Deputies arrived at the home a short time later to find it completely engulfed in flames. They also said they saw multiple people standing near the driveway of the home and escorted them to a safe distance from the house.

After speaking with the people, deputies said they learned there were six people unaccounted for, three adults and three children.

Those six people were believed to still be inside the home.

Firefighters worked for three hours to put out the fire and were on the scene for 12 hours.

On Monday, the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office said the six individuals inside the home at the time of the fire had all died. They were all family members.

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod President Mark Schroeder explained in a notice that the organization was mourning the loss of the six people who died in a fire, one of whom was a pastor and missionary in Thailand. Schroeder identified the deceased as:

• Lena Henselin
• Merci Henselin
• Pastor Steve Witte
• Lydia Witte
• Charis Kuehl
• Stella Kuehl

“The pain of losing six members of one family cannot be described with words,” Schroeder said. “The only thing that can begin to bring comfort in such a time of grievous loss are the words that God himself speaks to us.”

St. Mark Ministries in De Pere also named the deceased and said they included members of the church and their extended family members.

“That our God is good is not in doubt. But at moments like this, it is difficult to understand the ways of God,” the church wrote in a Facebook post. “Our hearts grieve for the Henselins even while we hold on to resurrection hope. We pray that Jesus might come quickly to usher in his New Heavens and New Earth.”

The church pastoral team is offering support to those who need it. It also created a fundraiser on GiveSendGo to support the family and is working to organize a meal train.

The sheriff’s office said the fire is believed to be accidental, and an investigation is ongoing.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice - State Fire Marshal has been requested to assist in the investigation.