A fire broke out in a camper in Southern Oregon over the weekend, killing a mother and her three young children, authorities said.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders found a fifth-wheel camper fully engulfed in flames, with four family members trapped inside.
According to officials, one person was able to escape the blaze with minor injuries, but the mother and her three children—who were all under the age of ten—perished in the fire.
Fire crews from the Jackson County Fire District and the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District were among the agencies that responded to battle the flames, which spread to surrounding structures and vegetation.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. However, the sheriff’s office said it is believed to have been “a tragic, non-criminal accident.”
“This case is open and ongoing pending autopsies and forensic identification,” authorities said. “Due to the nature of this case, victim information will not be released. There is no further information available at this time.”
A local resident wrote in a Facebook comment that she lives directly across the road from where the incident occurred and that the family member who escaped the camper tried to help his relatives.
“The teenage son tried to get his mother and siblings OUT and he was injured,” she penned in part. “We need to focus on PRAYERS for the remaining children.”
Kirkwood said the fire broke out on her family’s property, claiming the lives of those she cared about “most in this world” and destroying all their vehicles and other possessions.
“Before this horrific accident, I was the sole provider for my family of 6. Nothing could have prepared me for the loss of my family members or the costs that come with this,” she wrote. “Any prayers and thoughts for my brother, who witnessed and tried to save our family, are appreciated.”
