The Bullhead City Police Department said there was “no evidence of a crime” in the December 2023 fire that killed five children in Arizona.
Five children – John Jones III, 13, Henry Lewis, 11, Zane Jones, 5, Freya Jones, 4, and Elias Jones, 2 – were killed in a second-floor bedroom of a two-story house in Bullhead, Ariz. , 16 December 2023 The fire started when the father of siblings John, Zane, Freya and Elias was out of the house.
According to a press release from the Bullhead City Police Department (BCPD), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) arson investigators collected samples of the remains of the fire that were found to be “negative for accelerants and no evidence of suspected arson was found.” . ”
“The case is pending final reports from the ATF and the Lake Havasu City Fire Department. The exact cause has not been determined. At this time, there is no evidence related to a criminal offense,” BCPD said in a statement.
A BCPD spokesperson told PEOPLE that the father “is not under investigation for anything criminal related to this incident” following reports that he had been shopping for Christmas presents for two and a half hours at the time of the fire.
On Dec. 19, BCPD said an investigation revealed the fire started “in the downstairs foyer” and “traveled up the only staircase inside the home, preventing the victims from exiting.”
Five children, ages 13 and younger, died in a house fire in Arizona
The duplex where a fire broke out in Bullhead City on December 16, 2023.
12 News/Youtube
Four of the victims were siblings, while the fifth child, Henry Lewis, was a cousin of the siblings, whom he was “visiting at the time”.
Several neighbors reportedly tried to save the children at the time of the incident. Helpers set up an extension ladder near the upstairs bedroom where the children were in an attempt to rescue them.
One neighbor, Patrick O’Neal, told AZFamily.com that several people tried to get to the children through the garage.
“We opened the garage door, there were some guys pulling stuff out,” O’Neal said. “The closer we got to the door, the more smoke started coming into the garage and suffocating people.”
According to BCPD, firefighters extinguished the main part of the fire within minutes of their arrival.
A father was Christmas shopping when a fire killed five children, police say
More than $22,200 was raised through GoFundMe to support families who lost children in the fire. River Fund Inc. has also started The Anna Circle Fire Fund, which accepts donations from businesses and residents.
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The investigation into the fire is ongoing. Anyone with photos or video of the fire is asked to contact the Bullhead City Police Department at (928) 763-9200.
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Source: HIS Education