Tragic Fire Claims Lives of Five Children as Father Shops for Christmas Presents

According to authorities, a father was out Christmas shopping when a tragic house fire claimed the lives of his four children and a young relative in Arizona. The fire rapidly engulfed the two-story home on Saturday evening, leaving no survivors. The children involved in the incident were aged 2, 4, 5, and 13, and they were siblings, while an 11-year-old was a visiting relative. Currently, officials are investigating the fire, and for now, the names of the children and father have not been released to the public. The fire broke out in Bullhead City, located 100 miles (160km) south of Las Vegas, shortly before 17:00 local time on Saturday. Police reported that the children's father had been away for approximately 2.5 hours buying groceries and gifts for Christmas. The preliminary investigation has suggested that the fire started in the downstairs entranceway, leaving the children upstairs unable to safely escape. All five victims were discovered in the same upstairs bedroom, indicating that the fire had blocked their only means of escape, the staircase. Witnesses recounted neighbors desperately gathering hoses and ladders to battle the fire, unaware that anyone was inside the home. It was revealed that if they had known, they would have attempted to rescue the trapped individuals. At the time of the incident, there were no adults present in the house. As a result of this tragic event, a vigil is scheduled to take place in a local park on Wednesday night, and a GoFundMe campaign has already raised over $14,000 (£11,000) to support the families with their funeral expenses.