The fire happened Saturday afternoon in a neighborhood near Ramar and Hancock roads in Bullhead City. Police say no adults were present when the fire occurred.
BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz — The grandchildren of a Bullhead City Fire Department employee died in a house fire reported Saturday afternoon, officials said Monday.
According to city police, the fire started in a two-story duplex in a neighborhood near Ramar and Hancock roads around 5 p.m. on Saturday. Five children were located in an upstairs bedroom of the duplex and they were unable to escape since the fire had traveled up the home’s only staircase.
“There were five children (ages 13, 11, 5, 4 and 2) who did not make it out of the 2-story duplex,” the department said on Facebook.
A spokesperson for the Bullhead City Police Department said no adults were present at the residence when the fire occurred. Four of the deceased children were siblings who lived at the residence and the fifth child was a visiting relative, the spokesperson said.
The father of the children told investigators he had left the home for about two hours to buy groceries and Christmas presents.
Because the children were related to an employee of the local fire department, outside investigators from Lake Havasu City Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms have been brought in to assist in the case.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Anyone with information about the fire are asked to call the police at 928-763-9200.
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Home Fire Prevention:
The Arizona Fire & Medical Authority has released tips on how to prevent fires from starting in your home.
“More than 4,000 Americans die each year in fires and approximately 25,000 are injured,” the authority said on its website. “An overwhelming number of fires occur in the home.”
First off, the authority says that every house needs to have at least one working smoke alarm. Every level of the home and every sleeping area should have a working smoke alarm inside of it to offer the best protection.
Appliances should also be used in a way that manufacturers recommend, since overheating, shorts and sparks can all lead to a fire breaking out.
Lastly, families should have an escape plan from every room of the house.
“Caution everyone to stay low to the floor when escaping from fire and never to open doors that are hot,” the authority said. “Select a location where everyone can meet after escaping the house. Get out then call for help.”
The authority offers free home safety inspections. Schedule one with them by calling 623-544-5400.
