Fire investigators say a deadly West Texas apartment fire that killed a woman and her two young daughters was caused by an overheated griddle left on a stove.
The El Paso Times reports that officials say the fire was accidental.
The Monday fire at the Las Casitas apartments inflicted severe burns on 32-year-old Magaly Mendoza and her two daughters, 11-year-old Andrea Garcia and 4-year-old Paulina Ortega. They died later at hospitals.
Police say 22-year-old Perla Mendoza, carrying an infant daughter, and 33-year-old Lizette Gomez were able to escape the burning apartment uninjured through the front door
El Paso Fire Marshal Orlando Arriola says there were smoke detectors in the home, but that according to interviews with the victims it is not clear if the alarms worked.
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Information from: El Paso Times, http://www.elpasotimes.com
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