EASTPOINTE, Mich. (AP) — Three children who were home alone died early Saturday in a fire that destroyed the inside of a suburban Detroit house, authorities said.

Eric Keiser, Eastpointe’s acting director of public safety, told reporters the children — two boys, ages 8 and 9, and a 4-year-old girl — were found dead in the home. Authorities were still investigating how they died and what caused the blaze.

Keiser says a total of five children lived at the home, but two were not there when the fire broke out. Two adult women who are sisters also live there, and were not home.

ADVERTISEMENT

Keiser said a call to authorities came from one of the women, and both are working with investigators.

“We will be interviewing everyone to try to determine what happened, who was where, and how this fire started,” Keiser said.

The boys’ grandmother, Brenda Mosley, lives nearby. She was on the scene and told reporters that she doesn’t know what happened.

“We don’t know why they were left alone,” she said.