Five children die in Arizona house fire as father did Christmas shopping

Local police chief describes ‘horrific tragedy’ after four boys aged two to 13 and a four-year-old girl die trapped in duplex

Five children died in a house fire in Arizona while their father was out shopping for Christmas.

Four boys – aged two, five, 11 and 13 – and a four-year-old girl were home alone in Bullhead City, Arizona, when a fire broke out just before 5pm on Saturday. Within five minutes firefighters were on the scene and reported the blaze was out at 5.03pm. But by then it was too late.