Christmas Eve Fire Kills Children Thick Smoke In House Prevents Rescue Of 4 Youngsters

For Loretta Buchanan, it was supposed to be the best Christmas ever. She stood in line for an hour to buy a honey-baked ham. Presents for her four grandchildren were stacked under the tree.

The three boys and their baby sister died when a Christmas Eve fire swept through their two-story home two doors down the street from Ms. Buchanan’s.

“I’ve screamed. I’ve cried. I don’t think I have more water in me,” she said. “God could have saved them, but he didn’t.”

Carlos Buchanan, 28, the children’s father, jumped out a first-floor window to escape the fire. His mother said he banged on her door and woke her up.

“Momma, call the fire department,” he told her, clad only in underwear and hands bleeding.

He rushed back to his house and with the help of neighbors, broke out downstairs windows trying to rescue the children, ages 8 months to 5 years.

A neighbor, Susie Purify, said children were heard screaming inside.

“The smoke was so thick in this block you couldn’t see anything,” she said. “You couldn’t see your own hand.”

Firefighters arrived in minutes to find the home fully engulfed, fire Capt. Jon Bozich said.

Bozich said the fire, which began in a sofa, appeared to be accidental but said its exact cause was unclear. Homicide investigator Lt. Billy Jackson questioned Buchanan for about 25 minutes Thursday morning, then said no charges would be filed.

The children’s mother was working at the time of the fire. An uncle who was partially paralyzed by a stroke was upstairs when the fire began but managed to escape, Ms. Buchanan said.

After leaving police headquarters Thursday, Buchanan returned home crying, bandaged and walking on crutches.

Well-wishers placed a white teddy bear and a snowman doll on the blackened front porch. Children’s clothing, baseball cards, charred books the remnants of furniture and bedding were strewn about the floor of the house.

All four children were found in a small room on the lower level of the structure. They were dead on arrival at a hospital Wednesday night due to smoke inhalation.

Their grandmother identified them as 5-year-old Carlos Jr., 3-year-old Cardell, 2-year-old John Carlos and 8-month old Jammie.

Ms. Buchanan said she was upset that police questioned her son. And she said he didn’t deserve criticism for failing to rescue his children.

“The man is hurt,” she said. “He lost his whole family. It’s Christmas. Have some compassion.”

Ms. Buchanan said she will donate her grandchildren’s presents - a fire truck, guitar and jogging suit - to charity.