BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Authorities said a fire that killed a mother and two of her young children was started by unattended food left cooking on the stove.


Birmingham Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief C.W. Mardis said Monday that the resident of the apartment above the unit where the family died put food on the stove and then fell asleep.

Mardis said by the time the resident awoke, the room was engulfed in flames.

The blaze killed Claudia Dukes, 25, and two of her children, 8-year-old Jordan Dukes and 3-year-old Jakayla Gamble.

Witnesses said they say Claudia Dukes and her family huddled in the bathroom to await help. Their bodies were found on the bathroom floor.

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Information from: The Birmingham News, http://www.al.com/birminghamnews


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