Fire Chief Says Blaze That Killed 4 Likely Was An Accident

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a fire that killed four people seeking shelter in an abandoned Hudson Valley house appears to have been started accidentally.

Fire officials have said all the victims appeared to have been homeless people who were staying inside the city of Poughkeepsie home when it caught fire early Monday morning.

Fire Chief Mark Johnson tells the Poughkeepsie Journal that the fire appears to be "a tragic accident."

Johnson says investigators have determined that the fire started in the first-floor bathroom of the three-story structure. He says lighters and candlewax were found in the bathroom.

Officials say the home was abandoned years ago and had no electrical services.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.