Detectives in Lancashire, England are questioning an 18-year-old on suspicion of murder after a house fire left his four siblings dead.
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Reece Smith, 19, 4-year-old twin girls Holly and Ella Smith, and Jordan Smith, 2, were all killed the blaze.
At a police briefing yesterday Detective Chief Inspector Neil Essen said:
“I can now confirm that the fire is being treated as suspicious. We are following a number of lines of inquiry and have spoken to a number of people who were at the house on the night in question. However I would still urge anybody who has information which they believe could assist us with our investigation to come forward.”
The fire broke out as the children’s mother Michelle Smith was throwing a 36th birthday party at the home. The children died in an attic bedroom.
Above: Jordan Smith, 2, (front) and twins Holly and Ella Smith, 4, (in pink) who died in the house fire.
Smith, who has three other daughters and two sons who live elsewhere, also stayed in the home and had to be led to safety by firemen, but was unharmed.
Sadly the four children were taken to a hospital in Preston suffering from smoke inhalation, but were pronounced dead on arrival.
As Reported By The Telegraph:
The police confirmed that the arrested man is not related to the Smith family but was at the property at the time of the fire.
Det Chief Insp said there was no indication at this stage that any sort of accelerant had been used to start the fire.
Miss Smith was said to have been helped from her home by firefighters, but was uninjured.
The four children were taken to hospital in Preston suffering from smoke inhalation but were pronounced dead on arrival.
Miss Smith’s father Keith Smith, 56, told how he learned of the fire on the news and rushed round to the house, only to learn of the deaths of four of his grandchildren.
This is heartbreaking, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Smith family during this time.
Above: Reece Smith, 19, who died in the house fire. It is thought that Reece died after battling the flames trying to save his brother and sisters.
SOURCE: Telegraph
