Fatal House Fire Claims Three Children Hours After Utilities Are Cut
Mar 3, 2010 Comments Off Erik Wong
Detroit — DTE Energy removed a gas meter and shut off electrical service at a west-side house hours before a fire ripped through the home Tuesday, killing three young children and injuring two youngsters.
A meter reader noticed energy was being used at the house on the 4900 block of Bangor near West Grand Boulevard and the service was cut, DTE Energy spokesman Scott Simons said.
Service was not legally on at the house since Dec. 11, Simons said. On that day, a previous resident moved and asked that service be shut off. No one had signed up to have service since then, he said.
A neighbor said a family moved into the home in December. The cause of the 6:45 p.m. Tuesday fire remains under investigation, Detroit Fire Department officials said today.
Three children — ages 3, 4 and 5 years old — were taken to Children’s Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. Two other children were treated for smoke inhalation there, fire officials said. Hospital officials said today the two children were in good condition.
The mother of the children was not home at the time of the fire, but an adult was in the home, fire officials said, citing preliminary reports.
Jarmar Taylor, 18, lives across the street from the burned home. He said he heard screams and saw the kids trapped upstairs at the home. He said he and others tried kicking in doors to get to the kids but extreme heat and smoke in the house blocked them.
“The fire was just burning so hot,” Taylor said. “I was hot standing outside — how hot was it for those kids up there?”
Corey and Lakisha Tarpley of Detroit brought two helium-inflated balloons to the house this morning that had “Thinking of you” printed on them. Lakisha Tarpley tied the balloons to the doorstop. Her husband said the incident was sad.
“The reason we came out here is because this is heart-touching,” Corey Tarpley said. “It just breaks your heart.”
