Two boys, ages 2 and 4, were killed when the lighter they were playing with ignited a mattress.
Officers with the Mobile County Sheriff's Office believe the older boy retrieved the lighter and brought it back to his bedroom while his mother was out.
Four-year-old Liam Barnes was on the top bunk and two-year-old Noah Gordon was on the bottom bunk. After the mattress and bedding caught fire, Noah hid in a closet, MCSO Sgt. Mark Bailey told WPMI reporters.
The smoke alarms were not working. When the mother was alerted to the fire she was able to get the four-year-old and a 10-month old out. However, she couldn't find Noah.
The boys were taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. The mother was treated for burn injuries.
Bailey said the mother went to her neighbor's house roughly 25 feet away from her home to deliver food. "She was gone for maybe five to six minutes. Unfortunately, it was enough time for Liam and Noah's room to engulf in flames started by a butane lighter."
The deputy described what Liam was playing with: "This one shoots out a torch flame instead of just the regular flame. It gets very, very hot and it stays lit until you manually turn it off."
"We've consulted with the DA's Office, which we always do when there's a death especially of a child, or children, to see if there's any culpability, to see if there's any maybe criminal aspect in the case or foul play. In this case, it does not warrant any charges to be filed on the mother or anyone in this case. It's just a tragic incident, to say the least," he told the media.
First responders in the area are urging people to check their smoke alarms and establish an escape plan. T
"A closet is not a safe place, no where in the home is a safe place if there is a fire in the area," Mobile Fire-Rescue Dept. Public Information Officer Steven Millhouse told the media.
