The six people who were killed in a fire that quickly engulfed their Texas home have been identified as a woman and her five children.
Family pastor Randy Feldschau identified the dead as 31-year-old Ashley Pickering and her five children, Camden, three; twins Cash and Cavence; four, Serenity; seven, and Cristian, 11.
The twins fifth birthdays would have been next week.
They died on Wednesday when a fire quickly engulfed their home near Silsbee, Texas.
The six people who were killed in a fire that quickly engulfed their Texas home have been identified as a woman and her five children. Pictured is the mother with four of her children
They died on Wednesday when a fire quickly engulfed their home near Silsbee, Texas. Pictured are Ashley Pickering, left, and right her oldest daughter Serenity, who was seven
Family pastor Randy Feldschau identified the dead as 31-year-old Ashley Pickering (far right) and her five children, Camden, three; twins Cash and Cavence; four, Serenity; seven, and Cristian, 11. Four of the five children are pictured with their mother
When the blaze was finally extinguished all six bodies were found beyond recognition, and it is thought the family was sleeping when they were overcome by the heat, flames and smoke.
‘It gives the appearance of being a very fast-moving fire,’ Hardin County Sheriff Mark Davis said.
He said the scene was ‘horrific.’
Davis said that it is likely all of the victims were asleep when the home went up in flames. Pictured is Pickering with one of her sons
Davis didn’t initially release their names because officials were still working to notify family members of the deaths.
The children’s father, who hasn’t been named and did not live with the family, was distraught when he arrived at the scene later, Davis explained.
‘It’s a very emotional task and our hearts, first and foremost, go out to the family,’ the sheriff said.
‘But we’re also looking at our first-responders, especially our firefighters. It’s a very difficult situation to be dealing with deaths like this that include so many children.’
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Davis said it doesn’t appear to have been deliberately set.
Justice of Peace Charles Brewer ordered autopsies to be performed on all six victims Davis told The Houston Chronicle.
He said authorities were first notified around 12.15am when a neighbor called 911. At that point flames were already shooting out of the home, which was a small structure at some point converted into a residence.
‘We’re not seeing anything at this point to give us cause that it’s suspicious,’ he told The Associated Press.
The victims grandparents live in a house in front of the burned home, but it wasn’t damaged.
Two vigils were held on Thursday night – one at the local high school and one at the Cathedral of the Pines Church in Beaumont.
When the blaze was finally extinguished all six bodies were found beyond recognition, and it is thought the family was sleeping when they were overcome by the heat, flames and smoke. Family members are pictured leaving the scene of the fire the next day
Two vigils were held on Thursday night – one at the local high school (pictured) and one at the Cathedral of the Pines Church in Beaumont
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Davis said it doesn’t appear to have been deliberately set. Two community members are pictured comforting each other at a memorial on Thursday night
The two oldest children were students at Silsbee Elementary and Edwards-Johnson Memorial Silsbee Middle School, and the district has released a statement.
‘Silsbee ISD is deeply saddened to learn the news of a family in Silsbee that lost their lives in a house fire,’ the statement reads.
‘News of this nature is not easy by any means, especially in our close-knit community. We offer prayers to those close to the family and our first responders as they cope with this devastating tragedy.
‘We have learned two children lost in this fire were students at Silsbee ISD, and our staff will be offering support to the campuses as needed. Silsbee ISD will ensure that our students and staff will be comforted during this difficult time.’