Kenosha fire: 3 children dead, father now charged with neglect
10-year-old Rylee, 9-year-old Connor and 7-year-old Alena Kannin
KENOSHA, Wis. - A Kenosha man is now charged after a Thanksgiving night fire killed three children last year.
In court:
Court records show 39-year-old Joshua Kannin is charged with three felony counts of child neglect resulting in death. A summons was issued on Tuesday, and he's scheduled to appear in court next month.
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The backstory:
The Kenosha police and fire departments got the call shortly after 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 27, 2025. When officers arrived at the scene near 43rd Avenue and 52nd Street, the fire was so intense they could not go inside.
Two of the children, 10-year-old Rylee and 9-year-old Connor, were found dead. Their 7-year-old sister, Alena, was flown to a Milwaukee hospital where she later died. Their dad, identified as Kannin, was treated for smoke inhalation.
Kenosha fire: 3 children dead, bodycam video released
The Kenosha Police Department has released bodycam footage from the response to an apartment fire that killed three children on Thanksgiving night.
Dig deeper:
According to a criminal complaint, Kannin initially told investigators that he had a cigarette before he went upstairs and went to sleep. He said something woke him up, and he went downstairs to see "a little fire" in the kitchen, so he ran to get help and yelled for his kids.
Kannin also said he kept boards on the windows "to prevent burglaries." During a follow-up interview, the complaint said Kannin told investigators that he typically smoked in the kitchen near the stove and a window and put the butts out in water.
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Fire investigators determined a stove burner was found in the "on" position, court filings said, and the kitchen appeared to be the origin of the fire. The most significant damage was to the kitchen and adjacent dining room. They did not find any smoke detectors. Kannin later admitted that he took down "at least one fire alarm" because the sounds were "an annoyance." A charred object that appeared to have the inner workings of a combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector was later found inside.
The complaint said, upon further examination of the scene, investigators "pointed out evidence" that two of the kids may have gone into the kitchen to make food before the fire started.
Daylight view of the fire damage
Court filings described the kitchen as having a lot of "clutter," including items on top of the stove. The mother of the children described Kannin's apartment as "absolutely disgusting" and said, when the kids stayed with their father, it was "fend for yourself" in terms of food. She also said Kannin had recently taught the 10-year-old how to make ramen noodles.
Investigators concluded there was no evidence that Kannin intentionally set the fire, and it was deemed an accidental common household fire. A detective reported that the "most probable" scenario was that the two oldest kids went to make food on the stove and accidentally started the fire.
Prosecutors said Kannin's lease agreement included a "no smoking clause" and said smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, which the apartment came equipped with, were to be on the walls and functional "at all times."
The Source: FOX6 News referenced information from the Kenosha Police Department and Wisconsin Circuit Court, as well as prior coverage of the fire and investigation.