Teen Arrested Over Death of Four Children in Freckleton House Fire
A teenager has been arrested under suspicion of murder after a house fire in Lancashire that killed four siblings.
Two-year-old Jordan Smith, four-year-old twins Ella and Holly and their brother Reece, 19, all died in the fire that started in a bedroom wardrobe during their mother Michelle's 36th birthday party last Saturday.
Guests fled the house when the fire broke out at around 11.30pm, while Reece died attempting to save his younger siblings from the converted bungalow in the village of Freckleton.
It is thought they were found in a small attic room at the rear of the bungalow. All four children were taken to Preston hospital, but were declared dead on arrival.
Police have confirmed that an 18-year-old was arrested following the fire, which they are treating as "suspicious".
Miss Smith, who has nine children in total, said she had "lost the lights of her life" when she returned to the scene of the fire.
"She was a caring mum with a caring familt. To have four of your children die like this - I don't know what it will do to her," he told The Telegraph.
"We are following a number of lines of inquiry and have spoken with a number of people who were at the house on the night in question," said Detective Chief Inspector Niel Essen, of Lancashire Police.
"I would still urge anybody who has any information which they believe could assist us with our investigation to come forward."
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