Four young sisters have died after their North Carolina home caught fire over the weekend.
Kendall, Kalani, Josie, and Sophia Melvin died after the blaze ripped through their home in Chadbourn in the early hours of Saturday morning.
According to Columbus County Fire Marshal Shannon Blackman the girls were aged between two and seven and there were no parents inside the address at the time.
Two girls, both aged 12, managed to escape the inferno. Officials said one of them is a sister of the children who perished.
The girls who escaped called 911 and firefighters arrived on the scene shortly after but the house was already engulfed in flames.
Columbus County Sheriff Bill Rogers said: ‘Due to the severity of the fire it was not possible to make a safe entry into the home.’
Images captured since of the home show the charred remains of the property. The walls of the home have crumbled under the intense heat.
It remains unclear how the fire started. The State Bureau of Investigation is probing the blaze.
Kendall, Kalani, Josie, and Sophia Melvin died after the blaze ripped through their home in Chadbourn in the early hours of Saturday morning
Images show the charred remains of the property, the walls of which crumbled under the intense heat
A statement said: ‘The NC SBI is investigating a Chadbourn, NC fatal fire over the weekend.
‘The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal requested assistance with a house fire that took the lives of four children.
‘Their ages are 2, 4, 6, and 7. Two teens were also at home when the fire broke out but they were able to escape unharmed.
‘The fire and deaths are currently under investigation. The bodies of the children were taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.’
Melissa Long, a neighbor, said she would frequently hear the girls playing together inside the home.
She told WECT: ‘I could just hear them laughing and playing all the time next door. I could just always hear them carrying on and having a good time.
‘Something that I can remember about them is hearing the laughs and playing.’
Long added that something as tragic as the fire had never hit the community before, saying it left her heart broken.
It remains unclear how the fire started. The State Bureau of Investigation is probing the blaze
Melissa Long, a neighbor, said she would frequently hear the girls playing together inside the home
Two girls, both aged 12, managed to escape the inferno. Officials said that one of them is a sister of the children who perished
She added: ‘I was in shock. I was hurt because I knew that our community was going to be in a lot of pain and the family that was going through this.
‘I have two children of my own, so it does open your eyes to realize how things can be taken so quickly from you.’
A GoFundMe has since been set up, which added: ‘These beautiful souls brought immense joy and love to their family and everyone who was blessed to know them.’
An obituary said: ‘Each carried a special sparkle: Kalani loved sunsets, Kendall adored rainbows, Josie never turned down pizza, and Sophia’s favorite was watching Bluey.
‘They loved their church, their friends, and their family deeply, and though their time here was far too short, their love and light will forever shine in the hearts of all who knew them.’
County Sheriff Rogers added: ‘Our community is facing an unimaginable tragedy. We ask that everyone join together in support of the family and loved ones affected by this devastating loss.
‘The thoughts and prayers of our agencies are with them during this extremely difficult time.’
