Wood stove caused fire that killed mother, 4 children

WARWICK, Mass. – Authorities have determined that a wood stove caused a fire that killed a woman and her four children in Massachusetts.

The house in Warwick went up in flames early Saturday. Killed were 42-year-old Lucinda Seago and her four children, ages 7, 9, 12 and 15. Seago’s husband, Scott, and a fifth child survived.

State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, Warwick Fire Chief Ronald Gates and Warwick Police Chief David Shoemaker announced the cause Thursday. They said a wood stove in the kitchen accidentally ignited nearby combustibles, and it’s not clear yet whether the home had working smoke detectors.

Officials said firefighters were hampered by subzero temperatures and a narrow road, and they had to shuttle in water from a pond on a route that crossed the New Hampshire line.