The five children who died in an Arizona house fire over the weekend were unsupervised after the father of four of them left to go holiday shopping, police said.
The children were not identified but were described as boys 2, 5, 11 and 13, and a girl who was 4, Bullhead City Police Department said in an update Monday on the investigation into the fire's cause. The 11-year-old was described as a relative visiting the household.
"The children’s father reported to investigators that he was gone for approximately 2.5 hours to buy groceries and Christmas gifts," the police department said in its statement.
The blaze was reported at 4:54 p.m. Saturday, and neighbors used a ladder in an attempt to rescue those inside before first responders arrived, police said.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
Read the full story on NBCNews.com.
