Authorities are investigating a suspicious residential fire that claimed the lives of three people— a woman and twin girls— early Sunday morning.
According to the Vallejo Police Department, an officer patrolling the 2900 block of Georgia Street around 2:45 a.m. smelled smoke and was flagged down by an 11-year-old girl who said there were three more people inside the home.
Officers noticed smoke coming out of the windows and forced entry through one of the side doors.
By the time they got in, the home was fully engulfed in flames and smoke.
Once Vallejo firefighters arrived at the scene, the blaze was quickly brought under control.
Three female victims were removed from the home.
Fifteen-year-old twin girls died at the scene and a woman, who investigators believe is the girls’ mother, was transported to a local hospital where she died.
The 11-year-old who flagged down the officer is expected to make a full recovery.
KRON4’s Hermela Aregawi spoke with a neighbor, Diosa Bande, whose daughter is very close with the twins.
“It’s really a sad day,” Bande said.”It’s my daughter’s birthday and we’ve been waiting for the twins to call us so we can pick them up to attend the party, but we didn’t hear anything from them.”
Residents told Hermela, that they are stunned and don’t know what to make of the tragedy, particularly the possibility of someone intentionally starting the fire.
Authorities are investigating to determine the cause and origin of the fire, which is suspicious in nature at this time.
Hermela learned that there is a father that lives in the home, but wasn’t there at the time of the fire.
A family friend says he left town on a trip a few days ago.