A murder inquiry has been initiated following the deaths of two toddlers die in a fire in Nottingham apartment.
The children, ages three and one, perished in the hospital following the early Sunday morning fire at Fairlisle Close, Clifton.
A woman has also been critically hurt, according to Nottinghamshire Police.
A joint investigation by the fire department and the police determined that the fire, which was extinguished at approximately 04:00 GMT, was intentionally ignited.
The fire occurred on the first level of a two-story residential building.
As fire crews battled the incident, adjacent residences were evacuated briefly.
Here, the area is blocked off, and a single police officer stands guard.
As investigations continue, forensic teams are coming and going from the property.
I just spoke with one of the inspectors, who informed me that this situation is disastrous for both the emergency services and the surrounding community.
A large number of individuals who were evacuated last night are already back in their homes, but the surrounding region is quite quiet.
Several neighbours in this neighbourhood, some of whom observed the fire and rescue efforts, have been interviewed.
They are extremely distressed by what they witnessed. All agree that it is incredibly tragic.
The mother, who is believed to be in her 30s, and the children were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene and transported to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.
Det Ch Insp Greg McGill of the Nottinghamshire Police stated, “These are awful and extremely sad circumstances, and my thoughts are with the families affected.”
“As a result of a collaborative investigation with the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, we’ve determined that the fire was intentionally caused.
We are requesting that any witnesses who were in the area at the time and witnessed anything unusual come forward and assist us with our investigation.
As investigations continue, Insp. Ben Lawrence stated that there would be a “strong presence of officers” in the Clifton neighbourhood.
Chris Clark of the Nottinghamshire Incident and Rescue Service commented, “Together with the police, we will investigate the cause of this fire and the awful loss of life.”
“We recognize that what has occurred will be extremely disturbing for the local community, and we will be in the region in the coming days to offer reassurance,”
David Mellen, the leader of the Nottingham City Council, described the loss of two young children as “heartbreaking” and vowed to “do all possible” to assist the family and community.
