House fire kills 5 kids in Arkansas

A fire possibly caused by a space heater swept through a home early Tuesday, killing five children on the second floor after their parents were unable reach them through the smoke and flames, authorities said.

The children's parents were awakened in a downstairs bedroom by a smoke alarm around 1 a.m., but escaped without injury, investigators said.

Fire Chief Dan White said the staircase in the 1 1/2-floor home was so narrow he had to turn sideways to get through to the second floor.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation. Police seized a space heater and a small amount of what appeared to be methamphetamine from the home after the fire had been extinguished, White said. Police said it didn't appear the home was being used to manufacture the drug.

"In no way did the manufacture or possession of any drug contribute to the fire," said Bentonville police Lt. Jon Simpson. "We believe the fire is accidental. We believe the fire might be related somehow to a space heater."

Items taken from the home were being sent to a crime lab for analysis.

More at link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080326/ap_on_re_us/children_killed_fire

There's some more information here:
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/220860/

"As of now, investigation of the drugs and the fire's cause are separate but could be intertwined, Allen [Bentonville Police Chief] said. The department is looking only for facts and will not make a determination as to whether the presence of drugs was a sign of negligence, he said.
Allen said that there is a history of police calls at the home. In addition, some calls have been made to the Arkansas Department of Human Services hotline."