Deaths of four children killed in Somers house fire ruled accidental
The deaths of four children killed in a house fire in Somers late Tuesday have been ruled accidental.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Thursday said the children — between the ages of 5 and 12 — died of thermal injuries in a blaze reported shortly before 10:30 p.m. at a two-family home on Quality Avenue. The office said investigators have not yet confirmed the identities of the children.
Firefighters were at the home within minutes of receiving a call about the blaze and found the front of the home fully involved, according to Somers Fire Chief John Roache. Crews immediately entered the front of the home and began searching for victims, but firefighters had trouble getting into a rear door of the home, Roache said at a news conference Wednesday.
Fire crews initially pulled two children out of the home. One of them was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was pronounced dead at Johnson Memorial Hospital, according to Roache. Crews shortly thereafter found two more children who were pronounced dead.
Of the eight people who live on the left side of the duplex, seven were home when the blaze broke out, including an adult sibling who jumped from the second floor to escape the fire — which Roache said was able to spread quickly in an older home with a balloon frame and lots of void spaces. The fast-spreading fire moved from the first floor to the second and cut off the stairwell, according to the chief.
According to property records, the house was built in 1928 and is owned by Quality Rentals, LLC. The home has oil heating and plaster walls, records indicate.
Three people who lived on the left side of the duplex were injured, including one with serious burns and two others with minor injuries, according to Roache. A family of four who lives on the right side of the multi-family structure was able to make it out safely without any injuries, Roache said.
Roache said witnesses at the scene reported hearing working smoke alarms in the home. The blaze is being investigated by the local fire marshal, the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit and the Eastern District Major Crime Squad.
State police have said the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire will take some time, especially given the extensive damage to the structure, but that it does not appear criminal in nature.
The home is a total loss, according to officials.
First Selectman Tim Keeney said Thursday he has been in contact with the director of Leete-Stevens Family Funeral Homes, who has been working with the family on funeral arrangements for the children.
“They’re trying to work with the family on what they would like,” Keeney told the Courant. “They want to help obviously, and I think the family needs help of course.”
Keeney said he has inquired about reaching out to the mother of the four deceased children but was told she is not yet ready to speak.
“People are coming out of the woodwork to make donations, which is awesome,” Keeney said, adding that Somers is a close-knit, small community.
Several businesses in town have also indicated they wish to help the family, according to Keeney.
“It’s just great,” he said.
A GoFundMe started by Jessica Marie, who identified herself as a cousin related to the family of the children, had raised nearly $70,000 as of the early afternoon hours Thursday. The fund initially set a goal of $50,000 to help cover funeral expenses.
Officials said monetary donations can also be sent to the Town of Somers Angel Fund, which can be mailed to 619 Main St., Somers, 06071.