Pastor, father of 6, identified as victim killed in house fire
A 68-year-old pastor died in a house fire in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, leaving behind his wife and six children, according to a report, which says the cause of the fire is not yet known.
Pastor Robert Bennett died after his home caught fire last week, his family said, according to Fox 6 News Milwaukee.
The pastor’s wife, Patricia Bennett, was also inside the house at the time but was able to get out alive, it added.
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The fire department said the cause of the fire was not known, but they ruled out any suspicious activity.
Bennett, a pastor for 30 years, is being remembered as a family man and one who would “put a smile on your face” and “get you off your feet” while doing his favorite thing. He spent the last five years at a church near Capitol Drive, Fox said, adding that his wife, Patricia, is also a pastor.
In January, 12 people from one family, including two adult sisters and eight of their children, died in a rowhouse fire in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Authorities said the building was originally a single-family home divided in an odd configuration to make two apartments, making it difficult for fire crews to navigate.
At least 26 people were living at the property, Fox29 reported at the time. Eighteen people lived in the upstairs apartment on the second and third floors, while another eight lived in the downstairs apartment, which included the first floor and part of the second floor. While the home was equipped with four smoke detectors, none of them were working at the time of the fire, officials said.
In 2017, a beloved Minnesota pastor, Jeffrey Sorvik, died in a fire at his family home, while his daughter-in-law managed to get out and help his paralyzed son escape the house. At the time of his death, Sorvik was serving as a church multiplication catalyst for the Evangelical Free Church of America.
