Father, 4 children die after Phoenix townhome fire

PHOENIX (KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) - Police are investigating after a father and his four children, all younger than the age of 12, died from a fire that broke out at their Arizona townhome.

Phoenix fire crews arrived at a townhome Wednesday around 11 p.m. and found it full of smoke with flames coming from the windows. Fire crews aggressively attacked the flames, while searching the townhome for victims. A father and four children, a girl and three boys, believed to have been overcome with smoke, were found inside their bedrooms.

One by one, firefighters carried them out and tried to save them, KTVK/KPHO reports.

The father, 52-year-old Shimone Boyer, died at the scene. Dov Boyer, 7, and Nachman Boyer, 8, died in the hospital Friday. Shevach Boyer, 9, and Tamar Boyer, 11, were in critical condition and fighting for their lives after the fire. They both died Saturday, Phoenix Police said.

Early indications are that the fire started when everyone was sleeping, which is why nobody woke up. No working fire alarms were found inside the townhouse.

Police said the investigation as to what caused the fire is still active. Officials say there are no obvious signs that the fire was intentionally set. A badly burned washer and dryer were pulled out of the home.

Fire officials described the emotional and mental toll calls like these, involving children and death, take on firefighters.

“Our firefighters are fathers and mothers. You can never quite train folks to deal with the loss of youth,” said Phoenix Fire Capt. Rob McDade. “This is an unfortunate loss for our community.”

Family member Steven Boyer is raising money through GoFundMe for his brother, niece and nephews’ funerals.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.