February 19, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (SH2007-11) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION R. Steve Huffman Public Information Officer (251) 208-2857/Fax: (251) 208-2861 E-Mail: huffman@cityofmobile.org DEADLY MOTEL FIRE CLAIMS TWO CHILDREN Mobile Fire Investigators are working to determine what caused an early morning fire that claimed the lives of two small children at the Bama Motel, located at 4012 Government Boulevard on Monday, February 19, 2007. The fire was reported at approximately 3:42 a.m. and firefighters arrived at approximately 3:47 a.m. reporting heavy flames coming from room 57. Firefighters quickly worked to extinguish the flames but the fire had already claimed it's two small victims ages 5 and 6. Both victims were males and brothers. They were found in the bathroom. According to an occupant in an adjacant room, he smelled smoke around 1 a.m. but basically ignored it. Sometime later he went to investigate the smell and discovered fire coming from the room next to his. A call was then made to 911 reporting the fire and claiming that two adults and 3 children occupied the room. Later it was verified one adult female, the mother and her two children occupied the room. The mother, Jacinta Watkins, was not home at the time of the fire, she told fire investigators that she left around 8 p.m. on Sunday evening to go to work and a friend was suppose to come by and check on the children during the night, thus leaving the children home alone. Watkins was picked up from work, notified of the fire and brought to the scene by the Mobile Fire-Rescue Chaplain. The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time, no damage estimate has been made. No other injuries were reported. Engines 19, 23, 6, truck 24, rescue 23 and District 2 Chief John Young responded to the fire. ###