Officials stated that a northwestern Arizona house fire broke out on Saturday, December 16, 2023, resulting in the horrific deaths of five children, including four siblings. The father, who was out Christmas and grocery shopping at the time, faced the tragic loss.
On the following Tuesday, investigators reported that they had not yet identified the cause of the blaze in Bullhead City, Arizona. The fire originated on Saturday evening in the downstairs foyer area of the two-story duplex.
Flames and smoke traveled up the only staircase inside the home, preventing the victims from escaping. Five children died as a result. Police said there were no adults home at the time of the blaze.
According to Bullhead City officials, the man reported to investigators responding to the fire that he was gone for about 2.5 hours. Lake Havasu City and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Fire investigators are jointly investigating the incident.
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Collected evidence will be utilized to ascertain the fire’s cause, and ATF chemists and electrical engineers will thoroughly analyze the debris. Authorities have asked witnesses with photos or videos of the fire to contact the Bullhead City Police Department.
In a video statement on Tuesday, City Mayor Steve D’Amico explained how the tragedy has shaken the close-knit community near the Colorado River. “I have seen the flowers, the stuffed animals, and the candles lining the chain link fence in front of the home” D’Amico said.
The names of the five victims were withheld as the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to identify them officially. The victims comprised a 4-year-old girl and her three brothers, aged 2, 5, and 13, along with an 11-year-old boy who was a family relative and visiting at the time.
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According to Lance Ross, public information officer for the Bullhead City School District, one of the children was a kindergartener at nearby Desert Valley School.
Emily Fromelt, a spokesperson for both the Bullhead City Police Department and Bullhead City Fire District, mentioned that neighbors made rescue attempts. They placed an extension ladder in the upstairs bedroom of the duplex structure.
Due to the children’s relation to an employee with the Bullhead City Fire Department, fire investigators from the Lake Havasu City Fire Department were called in. Additionally, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms joined to assist the Bullhead City Police Department with the incident, as mentioned by Fromelt.
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A memorial vigil for the five children was scheduled for Wednesday night at a nearby park. As of Tuesday, friends of the families raised more than $11,000 to help with funeral expenses. Patrick O’Neal told The Associated Press a dozen men gathered hoses and broke windows to try to get into the burning house when they noticed the smoke.
“We were screaming at the tops of our lungs,” O’Neal said. “We didn’t see nothing. We didn’t hear nothing. There are many guys out here who would have went into that fire if we would have known there was children … We did everything we could.”
Bullhead City Police Chief Robert Trebes said investigators were working to get answers about the cause to “bring some closure and peace to parents and families involved.”
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