House fire kills 3 children, 2 adults in Alabama

FORT PAYNE, Ala. – Three children and two adults died in what appeared to be an accidental fire at a mobile home in rural north Alabama, a coroner said Friday.

News outlets reported that flames engulfed a trailer in DeKalb County near the Georgia state line Thursday morning.

DeKalb County Coroner Bruce Wilson said the dead include a woman, her three young children and the woman’s boyfriend. No names were released immediately, and Wilson said autopsies were being conducted.

The family had a wood stove and other heaters inside their home, Wilson said, and the fire appeared to have been an accident caused by one of the heaters.

The state fire marshal’s office was investigating, he said.