Cause of deadly fire that killed 4 children revealed

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Four children were killed in a house fire in South Memphis on Wednesday afternoon.

Memphis Fire Department was called to the scene on East Alston Avenue near E.H. Crump Boulevard just before 3 p.m.

Following further investigation, Memphis Fire Department Public Information Officer Lieutenant Qwanesha Ward has confirmed that the fire was caused by an apparent rigged wire that led to an electrical fire starting in the home.

The children were two boys and two girls, varying in age from 5 to 2.

“We just ask the whole community now to just reach out,” said Memphis Police Public Information Officer Louis Brownlee. “Just wrap your arms around the family, continue to pray for them and the first responders who made the scene because this was a tough scene to see four children lose their lives.”

The fire caused $42,000 worth of damage, according to MFD.

The loss of four precious lives is unimaginable.

“My daughter called me earlier,” said the children’s grandfather Patrick Davis. “I was over at my moms house visiting her. She just called me all of a sudden said daddy my kids all of them died.”

MFD says the fire began between the kitchen and one of the bedrooms inside the family’s apartment.

Memphis Police say the children were home alone.

“This is just a tragic situation. We’re thankful for the firefighters who ran in to try to save the children and worked diligently to try to save their lives.”

Investigators say the father of the children is detained. No charges have been filed at this time..

“They were some little kids and they were gonna be missed by all of us,” said Davis. “I know especially by my daughter.”

Memphis Fire says they will be going around that neighborhood Thursday morning to make sure neighbors have a working smoke detector.

They could not say whether or not the apartment where Wednesday’s fire happened, had a working smoke detector.

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