Police in northwest Arizona said five children left home alone died in a fire over the weekend while their father was out Christmas and grocery shopping.
Bullhead City police said the bodies of the five — a 13-year-old boy, 5-year-old boy, 4-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy, all siblings, and a related 11-year-old boy — were located in an upstairs bedroom once the fire was extinguished around 5 p.m. Saturday.
Authorities said the fire started while the father was out of the house for over two hours.
“The initial fire investigation has revealed that the fire originated in the downstairs foyer area, most likely making it impossible for the children in the upstairs bedroom to get out of the residence safely,” Bullhead City police said in a statement. “The fire traveled up the only staircase inside the home, preventing the victims from exiting.”
What caused the fire is under investigation.
Police said the names of the children are being withheld until they’re officially identified by the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.