The four girls’ mum Reagan Powers, 28, has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of involuntary manslaughter, while the children’s dad said his heart was “shattered” beyond words
Four girls have died in a house fire after their mum allegedly left them unsupervised.
Police responded to a fire at a home in Columbus County, in North Carolina, after a mum reported her home was ablaze and her four daughters were inside. Officers arrived at the residence at about 2:30am local time on August 30.
The Columbus Country Sherriff’s Office (CCSO) said their mum Reagan Powers, 28, allegedly left the four children aged 2, 4, 6 and 7, at home when the fire began, local media reported. She reportedly left the children in the care of an 11-year-old.
Police added the children died in the fire. Powers was later apprehended and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse with serious bodily injury on Wednesday.
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A CCSO spokesperson added: “When the first deputy arrived on scene nine minutes after the initial call, the residence was fully engulfed in flames. Due to the severity of the fire, it was not possible to make a safe entry into the home.”
Sheriff Bill Rogers and Columbus County Fire Marshall Shannon Blackman said in a joint statement: “Our community is facing an unimaginable tragedy. We ask that everyone join together in support of the family and loved ones affected by this devastating loss.
“The thoughts and prayers of our agencies are with them during this extremely difficult time.” It added: “Everyone is presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.”
Powers first appeared at court on Thursday. The judge said she faced a maximum of 59 months for each count of involuntary manslaughter as well as a maximum of 88 months for each count of negligent child abuse, according to WECT 6.
Powers bond was initially set at $500,000 and she has since been bonded out, according to local networks. The children’s father Patrick Ellis said: “My heart is shattered beyond words at the loss of my daughters.”
More than 100 people have attended a memorial service for the four children at a funeral home in Chadbourn, west of Wilmington, on Tuesday, according to the outlet.
According to the US Fire Administration, an estimated 2,890 people died in residential fires in 2023. The National Fire Protection Association said that between 2019 to 2023 that there was an average of 2,600 civilian deaths.
It added that 68 per cent of these happened in one-and-two-family homes.