Watch CBS News

Quadruple Fatal Hamtramck House Fire Not Arson, Chief Says

HAMTRAMCK (WWJ) - Hamtramck's fire chief says the specific cause of a house fire that killed four people on a frigid morning last month cannot be determined — but it wasn't a case of arson.

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 on Yeamans Street on Feb. 17.

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

When crews arrived on the scene, the fire was so intense and the back of the house was fully involved, Wilk said, and firefighters were unable to get upstairs.

Wilk said the fire burned for some time before it was discovered; and, because of the degree of destruction and the fact there was electrical equipment and a power supply on the back porch, various causes couldn't be ruled out.

He did say an investigation determined items stored on the porch helped fuel the blaze.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.