Update: Man arrested on suspicion of murder, arson in Fresno fire that killed 2 children

Police believe a 29-year-old man is responsible for a house fire that killed two children and sent their mother to the hospital in west Fresno on Tuesday morning.

The children were 5 months old and 18 months old, Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama and Fire Chief Kerri Donis confirmed at the scene of the double homicide around 9 a.m.

Balderrama said the suspect was taken into custody at the scene of the fire that broke out around 6:40 a.m. at a home in the 3600 block of West Robinson Avenue, near Dakota and Brawley avenues.

Based on the statement that the suspect gave officers, the man will be arrested on suspicion of two counts of murder, along with felony arson, Balderrama said.

Police are not releasing his identity, but said the man was living at the residence and believe he is related to the victims in the fire.

The two children died in the home.

Their mother escaped — fully engulfed in flames — and ran to a neighbor’s for help. She had to roll around to put out the flames, Balderrama said.

“She’s not doing very well,” he said.

The children’s father had already left the home for work, he said.

Donis said the nature of the fire and the age of the victims can be a lot to process, and added that it was the first day on the job for the two firefighters who first discovered the dead children.

“This is a tragedy, any house fire, but this one goes a little deeper,” she said.

This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 10:05 AM.