No evidence of crime, arson in Arizona house fire that killed 5 kids, police say

No evidence of arson or other criminal offense was found in connection to a house fire that killed five children in Bullhead City last December, city police officials announced Wednesday.

The fire debris samples collected were negative for accelerants and no evidence was found to suspect arson, according to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives fire investigators.

The children died when a fire engulfed a two-story duplex on Anna Circle on Dec. 16. They are John Jones III, 13; Henry Lewis, 11; Zane Jones, 5; Freya Jones, 4; and Elias Jones, 2. The fire started in the foyer before traveling up the staircase and destroying the home, an initial fire investigation found. The blaze's path up the staircase made it likely impossible for the children in the upstairs bedroom to escape the residence safely, fire officials previously said.

According to officials, the timeline was as follows:

• 4:54 p.m. – Dispatch received a call of a structure fire on Anna Circle.
• 4:59 p.m. – Bullhead City Fire Units arrived at the scene.
• Less than a minute later, there was water on the fire, Emily Fromelt, a Bullhead City Police Department spokesperson said.
• 5:01 p.m. – Water supply was established from the fire hydrant.
• 5:03 p.m. – The main body of the fire was extinguished.

The 11-year-old child was a relative and visiting at the time, according to the Bullhead City Police Department. The other four children were all siblings who were residents of the home. They were found in the same upstairs bedroom of the two-story duplex, according to fire officials.

The father of the siblings told investigators he had been gone for about two and a half hours, buying groceries and Christmas gifts.

Neighbors reportedly attempted rescue efforts and placed an extension ladder up to the upstairs bedroom of the duplex structure. There were no survivors.

The case is pending final reports from the ATF and Lake Havasu City Fire Department. The investigation was taken over by the Lake Havasu City Fire Department after it was found the grandfather of the four children is a Bullhead City fire employee.

The exact cause of the fire is undetermined, fire officials said.

Bullhead City, a tightknit town of about 40,000 people, sits at the junction of Arizona, Nevada and California.

Republic reporters Laura Gersony, L.M. Boyd, Lacey Latch, Taylor Seely and Lane Sainty contributed to this article.