Cause still undetermined for house fire that left 5 children dead in Arizona, authorities say

BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. — The cause of a house fire in northwestern Arizona that killed five children last month is still unknown and could take months to determine, authorities said Tuesday.

Bullhead City police said the analysis of the fire debris is being conducted at a federal laboratory by chemists and electrical engineers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The father of four left them and a young relative at home for about 2.5 hours on December 16 so he could buy Christmas gifts and return groceries only to find the charred remains of the family's home.

Authorities have not released the man's name and would not say whether any charges will be filed against him in the fatal fire in a tight-knit community near the Colorado River and the Nevada border.

Investigators said the fire started in the downstairs foyer of the two-story duplex, and flames and smoke rose up the only staircase in the house, preventing the children from escaping.

The children's bodies were all found in an upstairs bedroom.

The Mohave County Medical Examiner's Office announced Tuesday that the victims were identified as 4-year-old Freya Jones and her three brothers: 2-year-old Elias Jones, 5-year-old Zane Jones and 13-year-old John Jones III. – plus 11-year-old Henry Lewis, a visiting relative.