Officials Look For Clues In Fire That Killed 6 Kids Four More Children Escaped Burning Trailer Near Idaho Falls

Firefighters and criminal investigators have found the remains of the last two victims of a trailer fire that killed six children, but have not determined what caused the trailer to burn to the ground.

The remains of four children were found Saturday. Investigators searched through Saturday evening until it became too dark to see holes in the floor of the trailer. The remains of the last two children were found Sunday.

Kirt Sutton, a neighbor, said he was awakened early Saturday morning by four children at his door who told him their trailer was on fire.

“Basically, I called it in and went over, but it was too late,” Sutton said. “By the time I got dressed, it was totally engulfed.”

Sutton said the children at his door appeared to be between the ages of 7 and 11. One of the children knocked out a window, enabling them to escape.

Craig Peterson, a special agent in charge of the state Criminal Investigation Bureau in Idaho Falls, said the ages of the victims are between 5 and 10.

“It’s a crying shame,” said Marjorie Reich, who lives across the street from the scene of the fire. “These things don’t usually happen right next door. They happen in other places.”

Reich’s husband saw the fire’s red glow, woke his wife up and they ran across the street to investigate.

“There wasn’t really anything we could do but watch,” she said.

The names of the victims have not been released, but neighbors said the trailer was rented by Todd Morris.

Morris and his girlfriend had lived in Archer for a couple of weeks, Reich said. Morris previously lived in Shelley, Sutton said. He also said he thought some of the children were blood relatives of Morris and others were related to Morris’ girlfriend.

Peterson said that investigators do not believe any adults were in the trailer at the time of the fire.

Linda Munns, whose youngest son had met one of the 10 children a couple days ago, did not see the fire, but said community members will try to help the couple cope with the death of the children.

“It’s devastating, and it’s awful,” Munns said. “It’s just awful to think someone could lose that many members of their family at one time.”

The Madison County Sheriff’s and Fire departments, as well as agents for the Bureau of Forensics and an arson investigator, are investigating the fire.