*The following content is not factual. This is an exercise from class to practice writing a news article using the inverted pyramid structure.* 

By Kaylyn S. Jones

Centerville, Iowa- A father of two died and three were injured in a Centerville home that caught on fire early Tuesday morning

The father suffered severe burns, and was pronounced dead at the St. Mary’s Hospital reported Janice Robinson, St. Mary’s spokesperson. The mother is in critical condition with first degree burns over her body and the two children are being treated for smoke inhalation said Robinson.

Fire Marshal Larry Johnson said that it’s likely that someone fell asleep smoking a cigarette which ignited the fire but until further investigation is done, the cause is uncertain.

The fire began while they were sleeping stated Johnson.

A neighbor dialed 911 after smelling smoke and seeing the flames through his window at 2:45 a.m. and reported that the firefighters arrived at the scene at 2:50.

The house has extensive damage and there was minor damage to the adjoining houses but no one else was injured said Johnson.

Neighbor George Foster explained how devastating this was and how he plans to help the family.

“I feel awful, I’ve lived here for 30 years and this has never happened before,” he said. “I am going to start a GoFundMe me for this family.”