Christmas Eve Fire Claims Lives of 3 Boys, Infant Sister

For Loretta Buchanan, it was supposed to be the best Christmas ever. She stood in line for an hour to buy a honey-baked ham. Presents for her four grandchildren were stacked under the tree.

The three boys and their baby sister died when a Christmas Eve fire swept through their two-story home two doors down the street from Buchanan’s.

“I’ve screamed. I’ve cried. I don’t think I have more water in me,” she said. “God could have saved them, but he didn’t.”

Carlos Buchanan, 28, the children’s father, jumped out a second-story window to escape the fire, his mother said. She said he banged on her door, woke her up and told her to call the fire department.

He then rushed back to his house and, with the help of neighbors, broke out downstairs windows trying to rescue the children, ages 8 months to 5 years.

A neighbor, Susie Purify, said children were heard screaming inside.

“The smoke was so thick in this block you couldn’t see anything,” she said. “You couldn’t see your own hand.”

Firefighters arrived in minutes to find the home consumed by flames, Fire Capt. Jon Bozich said.

Bozich said the fire, which began in a sofa, appeared to be accidental but said its exact cause was unclear. Homicide investigator Lt. Billy Jackson questioned Carlos Buchanan for about 25 minutes Thursday morning, then said no charges would be filed.

The children’s mother was working at the time of the fire. An uncle who was partially paralyzed by a stroke was upstairs when the fire began but managed to escape, Loretta Buchanan said.

After leaving police headquarters Thursday, Carlos Buchanan returned home crying, bandaged and walking on crutches.

Well-wishers placed a white teddy bear and a snowman doll on the blackened front porch.

Children’s clothing, baseball cards, charred books, the remnants of furniture and bedding were strewn about the floor of the house.

The bodies of all four children were found in a small room on the first floor. Officials said they were dead on arrival at a hospital Wednesday night. The cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation.

Their grandmother identified them as 5-year-old Carlos Jr., 3-year-old Cardell, 2-year-old John Carlos and 8-month-old Jammie.

She said she was upset that police questioned her son. And she said he didn’t deserve criticism for failing to rescue his children.

“The man is hurt,” she said. “He lost his whole family. It’s Christmas. Have some compassion.”

She said she will donate her grandchildren’s presents--a firetruck, guitar and jogging suit--to charity.