A 2010 graduate of Tippecanoe High School was among the University of Cincinnati students injured in a house fire on New Year’s Day, according to dozens of posts on multiple social media sites.

Ellen Garner was in a medically induced coma at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center burn unit on Wednesday, according to a Facebook posting.

An electric space heater is believed to have played a role in the fire that injured two UC students, according to Cincinnati Fire Investigation Unit Capt. Dan Rottmueller.

The fire, which has been ruled accidental, occurred shortly before 7 a.m. on Jan. 1 at 2824 Digby Avenue, a rental property located in University Heights.

“Our investigaton revealed the cause to be an electrical space heater being too close to bedding material that was in a bedroom on the second floor,” Rottmueller said.

Investigators said that there was at least one person asleep in that room at the time the fire started.

Rottmueller would not release the names of the victims, but said both remained in critical condition Wednesday.

“There are no words for how hard today has been. Please continue to #PrayForEllen. She is so strong and still as beautiful as ever,” one Twitter post read.

According to Facebook posts, Garner was suffering from smoke inhalation and suffered damage to her lungs.

Greg Hand, spokesman for the University of Cincinnati, said that he was aware of the fire, but had not been given any information on the victims.

UC’s President Santa J. Ono sent out a message on Twitter: “I have the UC students injured in the Digby house fire in my thoughts. Please join me.”

The injured students were rescued from the third floor of the three-story house. Others inside managed to get out before firefighters arrived.

At least one other victim was taken to a hospital and treated and released.

There were 10 people in the house at the time of the fire and all were believed to have been asleep when the fire occurred, Rottmueller said. Some of the people inside the house were residents and some were friends of the residents.

The fire was contained to one room. The estimated damage cost is approximately $20,000.

According to the State Fire Marshal, there were 14,348 residential fires in Ohio in 2011, resulting in 734 civilian injuries and 118 deaths.

Contributing writer Nancy Bowman contributed to this report.