About 50 firefighters battled the blaze on a bitter cold night in Pulaski.

About 50 firefighters battled the blaze on a bitter cold night in Pulaski.
STAFF/WIRE REPORTS
PULASKI, Pa. -- Autopsies were planned today on five Amish children killed in an intense fire that destroyed their wooden-frame home.
Firefighters pulled the last body from the rubble around 7:30 a.m. today after spending the night fighting the blaze and cautiously sifting through the remains.
Four other children and their parents, Rudy and Lizzie Wengerd, escaped the blaze shortly after it started at 10 p.m. Tuesday, said Rick Show, Pulaski Township fire chief.
Victims identified
The Wengerd children who perished in the blaze were Katie, 14; Levi, 12; Neil, 11; John, 4; and Jonathon, 2, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The names and ages of the other children were not being released.
Three Pennsylvania State Police fire investigators continued to sift through the rubble after the last body was removed to determine the cause of the blaze.
Show said the house had an active electric line, but it's unclear whether the family was using it. The Amish do not use modern conveniences such as electricity but tend to use oil lamps and wood furnaces for heat and light.
Lawrence County Coroner Russell S. Noga said autopsies on all five children were to be done today at the Ellwood City Hospital.
Noga said officials believe the children were on the second floor of the home when it collapsed into the basement.
Some survivors were with relatives this morning, according to neighbors.
The parents were taken to Jameson Memorial Hospital in New Castle and released, said nursing supervisor Bonnie Appugliese. They had escaped from the house on their own and were taken by ambulance from the scene to the hospital, said Show.
"Our initial call told us that we possibly had some people inside the building at the time of the fire," Show said, adding that much of the fire was in the basement.
House engulfed
As the first firefighters responded to the alarm shortly after 10 p.m., the house was engulfed, with fire coming from most of its windows, he said. "When we got here, it was an external attack on the fire. There was no internal attack to be made. There was no way to enter the structure," Show said.
A total of about 50 firefighters from the West Middlesex, Shenango Township, Pulaski, New Wilmington and Volant fire departments battled the blaze in bitter cold weather.
Route 208 was blocked for a while Tuesday night by firetrucks and a portable water tank. The road was slick with ice, which rapidly formed from the water used in firefighting.
Troopers from state police fire marshal's office were investigating at the scene. Besides state police, Pulaski, Neshannock, and New Wilmington police were present.
Neighbors said that the home had been built by the Amish about 30 years ago but that at some point it was converted into an English house -- a term to used to describe a modern home.
The family had moved into the home in August, neighbors said, and were in the process of removing some modern amenities.
The American Red Cross established a canteen to provide refreshments to emergency crews.
XCONTRIBUTORS: Staff writers Laure Cioffi and Peter H. Milliken.