OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A community is mourning the loss of three children who were killed after a house fire in West Bloomfield Township.
The incident occurred on Sunday (Feb. 2) around 8 p.m. in the 5000 block of Pembury Lane, near 14 Mile Road and Orchard Lake Road.
The fire department told Local 4 there were no smoking detectors inside the home. But the neighborhood was still in shock with the passing of the three children.
“It didn’t take long either. It did not take long. In maybe about 10 minutes, that house was up in flames. From the time we called the police to the time they got here, it was already too late,” said Jewelette Estes.
“I wasn’t 100% sure which house it was because when I pulled over there, it was just a lot of smoke in the street. Like you couldn’t see three houses down,” said Jonathan Estes.
Jonathan said he noticed the smoke before flames engulfed the home and tried his best to help. After locating and knocking on the door, he thought no one was home.
“When I saw the packages, I was like, ‘OK, they may be on vacation. I don’t think there’s anybody here.’ I was banging on the door. I didn’t hear anything. It looked like all the lights were off. So, I just aired on the side of assuming no one was as here, which was the wrong decision,” Jonathan said. “I saw them pulling the people out of the house and it was hard to watch, especially that first person. They were in bad shape.”
We’re told some of the kids may have had special needs. But officials said all three children were pronounced dead at the hospital.
“It seems as though the kids were home alone,” Jewelette said. “It made me change my mind about leaving my children at home, and my kids are 14 and 15.”
When crews arrived at the scene, they forced their way into the home to find the three children—A 16-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy—trapped inside.
Officials said the parents were cooperating with police as they’ve been taken in for questioning. Sadly, we’re told one of the deceased was a West Bloomfield High School student.
The West Bloomfield School District sent out information about the incident, letting parents know what happened.
“It is with a heavy heart and tremendous sadness that we share that a WBHS junior was fatally injured in a house fire last night along with two siblings who attended schools outside our district. A tragedy like this impacts all of us differently and the grief we feel can manifest in many ways.”
West Bloomfield Schools
