House Fire Claims Lives Of Parents, 2 Children In Hamtramck [VIDEO]

HAMTRAMCK (WWJ) - Authorities say four people, including two children, have been found dead after fire ravaged their home in Hamtramck.

The fire broke out just before 2 a.m. Tuesday on Yemans Street, near Caniff Avenue and Conant Street.

Hamtramck Fire Chief Paul Wilk said the fire was so intense, crews could not save the family of four trapped inside the burning home.

"When our guys arrived on the scene, the back of the house was fully involved. They went into the front door and tried to get to the upstairs, but could not," Wilk told WWJ's Laura Bonnell. "They had to pull out and begin a defensive approach on the fire."

The victims -- 47-year-old James Parker and his 47-year-old wife Freddye, their 11-year-old son James Jr. and 7-year-old son Jarred-- were found in a front bedroom on the home's second floor.

Raw video shows smoke rising from the home hours after the flames were extinguished:

Investigators are now trying to determine a cause of the fire and say nothing, including arson, has been ruled out.

"Right now, we're just beginning our investigation," said Wilk. "Our people from Hamtramck, but we've also got Detroit's fire investigation crew here to help us."

Wilk said the situation was especially tiring on firefighters, who battled temperatures below zero.

"It's very hard to fight a fire in the winter. The ice, everything is frozen right now and guys are falling,"  he said. "But, we had a lot of help. It's just that sometimes more people doesn't always make a difference."

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