The cause of a Fort Atkinson house fire that killed a teenager and a child Jan. 23 is undetermined, said a state Department of Justice representative.

Both Bryan Palacios, who was 14, and his 4-year-old nephew Ethan, whom he was trying to save from the fire, perished in the blaze.

The Fort Atkinson Fire Department received a call concerning a structure fire in the 400 block of Milo Street at 3:23 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23. Firefighters arrived in less than four minutes and found the two-story home with heavy fire throughout.

In addition to Fort Atkinson, a number of area fire departments including Jefferson and Lake Mills, as well as EMS and other public safety agencies responded to the scene.

Reports regarding the fire remain ongoing by the state fire marshall’s office in Madison.

“While all the reports related to this case are not complete, I can confirm that the cause of the fire was undetermined,” said Gillian Drummond, communications director for the DOJ that oversees the agency.

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