MEMPHIS, TN - New information about a house fire that claimed three lives in Forrest City, Arkansas. Investigators say the fire started in the kitchen. A woman and her two young sons were found inside the home.
The fire started just before 3 a.m. Friday. It took fire crews hours to get things under control. When they did, they found three dead inside. A day after the deadly fire, folks drive by the home to see what's left.
It was messed up the way it happened,” said David Harris, who lives nearby. “It’s really bad about the kids. It’s really a tragedy.”
Investigators aren’t sure exactly what started this fire, but they do say it looks like it started back in the kitchen, where the woman's body was found.
Family members say that woman was 28-year-old Essie Oliver.
"My daughter, she was a free spirit,” said Essie’s father, Donniel Gaines. “She liked to go out and party, but she's real nice. She knew how to greet people."
Her twin 8 year old boys Patrick and DePatrick Davis were found together in a bedroom in another part of the house.
“I knew they were good people,” said Bruce Posley, who lives nearby. “From what I knew about them, what I heard about them.”
Now this family that was supposed to celebrate the holidays together is grieving.
“Nobody wants to lose a loved one or family member, nothing like that,” Harris said. “Especially this time of year. It's coming up to Christmas. Everybody's made their plans. It's really just bad. It's messed up.”
Investigators say they did not find a smoke detector inside the house. The bodies of the three victims were sent to the state crime lab for autopsies.
