MOUNT MORRIS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- A woman and four young children died in a pre-dawn fire Sunday, trapped behind burglar bars in a house without smoke detectors, police said.
The fire spread from the kitchen and living room area of the one-story house, blocking the front door - the only escape route, Sgt. Jim Tomalia said.
``Guard bars (were) on all the windows in the house,'' he said. ``There were no signs of any smoke detectors whatsoever. They were pretty well pinned back in the back three bedrooms.''
The victims were the 28-year-old woman who rented the home, her 8-month-old daughter, 2- and 3-year-old sons and a 5-year-old boy who was visiting, Tomalia said.
``We don't know why (this happened), it's just a sad time right now,'' said the children's grandfather, Sanford Hoyle.
Authorities did not immediately know the cause of the fire. The victims' identities were withheld pending notification of relatives.
Mount Morris Township is about 60 miles northwest of Detroit.
