Electrical issue blamed for deadly Fort Wayne fire

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Investigators are blaming an electrical problem for a house fire in Fort Wayne that killed an engaged couple.

The city Fire Department says the Dec. 13 blaze started near an outlet in the home’s living room. A Christmas tree was nearby, but The Journal Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/sYujK9 ) that fire officials couldn’t say whether it played a role in starting or spreading the fire.

Authorities say 20-year-old Carson Tubbs and 19-year-old Jonette Chacon died of smoke inhalation from the fire that broke out about 3:30 a.m. Tubbs’ mother and 17-year-old sister escaped without injury from the house on the city’s south side.