FORT BEND COUNTY – An electric issue is believed to have caused Thursday's deadly fire in Orchard, according to the Fort Bend County Fire Marshal's Office.
Fort Bend County Fire Marshal Mark Flathouse said Friday that the cause of the fire was determined based on evidence collected at the scene. He said their investigation is still active.
Officials said three people, including 90-year-old Goldie Wells, 80-year-old Dorothy Carrington and 55-year-old Joyce Carrington, died in the fire.
According to investigators, Joyce Carrington was the caregiver for her mother, Dorothy, and her aunt, Goldie, in addition to three children who were also in the home at the time of the fire.
The children, a 17-year-old boy, a 10-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy, safely made it out of the house with the help of Joyce Carrington. She then went back into the house in an attempt to rescue her mother and aunt.
The fire marshal's office said several departments, including the Needville Volunteer Fire Department and the Richmond Fire Department assisted with this investigation.
In 2005, Steve Carrington, Joyce's brother, who also lived in the house, confessed to killing his 12-year-old step daughter.