Four young members of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribe of South Dakota were killed in a house fire on Saturday.

All the children were in the foster care of a Marlys Robertson, 66. She had just taken in two extra children while they awaited permanent placement.

Killed were Tiffany and Travis Lewandowski, ages 7 and 4, Joslyn BullBear, 3, and Daniel Flynn, 4. Three other foster children survived, along with Robertson.

The blaze occurred when a blanket came in close contact with a floor furnace, the sheriff's office said. The temperature at the time of the fire was 16 degrees below zero.

Robertson is a well-regarded foster care provider on the reservation.

Get the Story:
Two victims would have been in new foster home next day (The Aberdeen American News 1/19)
Foster Mother: Blanket On Heater Sparked Fatal Fire (AP 1/18)
Four More Children Die In S.D. House Fire (AP 1/17)