Two juveniles are dead and a third was left in critical condition after a house fire tore through a home in north St. Louis County, with a fourth child also treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. Investigators have not yet determined what sparked the blaze, and the case remains under investigation.
St. Louis County Police received a call around 8:11 p.m. to assist the Black Jack Fire Protection District with the fire, according to First Alert 4. The fire happened Friday night in north St. Louis County.
The Black Jack Fire Protection District, which responded alongside county police, serves more than 26 square miles, including Black Jack and parts of Dellwood, Florissant and unincorporated North County. Established in 1929, the district now operates three firehouses and handles more than 9,000 emergency calls annually, spanning fire, rescue and medical responses. The district’s service-area and history information places the fire within a broad regional response area, rather than the city of Black Jack alone.
First Alert 4 placed the fire in the 15600 block of Ninety Fourth Avenue.
Three Children Found Inside, One Hospitalized Separately
First responders found three juveniles inside the home, according to the station's report, and all three were taken to local hospitals after receiving medical treatment. Police said two of the victims were later taken to the hospital and died from their injuries, per the same account. The third victim was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries and remained in critical condition.
A fourth juvenile found at the scene was treated for smoke inhalation, the outlet reported. First responders are credited with providing the victims life-saving treatment before transport, though the evidence does not detail the fourth child's condition beyond that initial treatment.
The deaths add to a national toll that includes hundreds of children each year: in 2023, an estimated 282 children ages 14 and under died in fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. The agency’s decade-long data show that children under 5 had the highest fire-death rates among child age groups, while the rate for children ages 14 and under overall changed little from 2014 to 2023. Those figures provide national context; the cause of this fire remains undetermined. Federal child fire-death statistics track rates by age.
Investigation Ongoing, Cause Undetermined
St. Louis County Police and the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson unit are investigating the fire, the station noted. The cause has not yet been determined, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit is a joint unit of St. Louis County and St. Louis Metropolitan police. Formed in 2013 by merging the departments’ separate units, it handles investigations into the origin and cause of suspicious or undetermined fires. The unit’s role is to determine how and where a fire began; its involvement does not by itself establish that a fire was intentionally set. The unit’s mission and history describe its regional investigative responsibilities.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the fire to contact County Police at 636-529-8210.
