HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – Fire investigators say there is no evidence of arson in a Feb. 17 house fire which killed a Hamtramck couple and their two sons at their home on Yemans Street.
A Wednesday news release from the Hamtramck Fire Department says while the exact source and cause of the fire "cannot be ascertained ... there is no evidence or indication of a deliberately set fire."
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They're calling the cause and classification "undetermined." As for what may have caused this deadly fire:
"The substantial structural destruction at the back of the house, coupled with the smoke and soot staining that covered the rest of the walls and surfaces within the interior of the house, is indicative of a fire that burned for a prolonged period of time before discovery. The added probability of items stored on the rear porch accelerated the fire," the release reads. "Due to the degree of destruction, and the fact that there was the presence of electrical equipment and the power supply on the rear porch, electrical or mechanical ignition sources could not be ruled out."
Firefighters worked in around zero-degree temperatures to extinguish the blaze. James and Freddye Parker and their two sons -- 11-year-old James Jr. and 7-year-old Jarred -- were found dead upstairs in the two-story home.
The boys played football with the Motor City All-Stars. Their parents also coached.
The couple also has two older daughters who are away at college at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.
Donations are being collected online for the Parker Family Memorial Fund.