The South Bend home where six children died in a tragic fire has been demolished

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WSBT) — The remains of the burned home were a visible reminder of the tragic fire on LaPorte Avenue in South Bend. This fire killed six children in January, and the effects of the fire continued to be felt in the community for months.

Now the landscape has changed, the remains of this house have disappeared.

Although the standing house that served as a painful reminder is no longer there, the emotions it evoked among neighbors are still very present.

“We will always remember whether the houses are there or not. I mean, we’ll always remember it. Everyone is,” said Jonathan Bonebrake, a South Bend resident.

It has been nearly nine months since the devastating fire on LaPorte Avenue.

Six small children all died on a Sunday evening in late January.

For the neighbors, the pain is still fresh.

People still visit the site, plant flowers and try to keep the memory of Smith 6 alive, even after the remains of the house have been cleared away.

“Conflict because I know why it was torn down. But at the same time, I know that people still go there and still visit. I mean, we didn’t even know it was going to be torn down. We just drove by one day and it was gone. I don’t think the memory will fade like that once the house is gone,” Bonebrake said.

The city of South Bend confirmed the home was demolished in September, but was not involved in the demolition.

While the exact reason for the demolition is unclear, 1st District Councilman Canneth Lee said many residents have expressed safety concerns about the burned-out building.

He hopes to create a memorial honoring the Smith 6.

Some neighbors expressed relief that it was torn down, saying it was a painful reminder of the tragedy. However, they believe the memory of Smith 6 will always remain.

“When I was delivering food I literally had to drive right past it and it was just a combination of shock and terrible sadness. “There are some people who will never forget this,” said Bill Odell — deliveries to the Laporte Ave. neighborhood.

Odell regularly delivers meals to the neighborhood and is aware of the tragedy. He hopes the demolition will bring a new beginning and closure, despite the ongoing pain.

When he remembers the Smith 6, he smiles and finds comfort in the knowledge that they are not in pain.

“Somehow you feel a personal connection to them when you see that, when you see the remains of when the house was still standing, when you saw the charred structure of the house and everything. But these kids are fine now, so even though we’re still in pain here, everything will be fine,” Odell said.

The state fire marshal has said he is not yet ready to share findings on the cause of the fire but expects to make an announcement by the end of this month.

WSBT 22 News is committed to continuing to follow this important story.