Two little girls died Friday afternoon in fire that may have been started by an older cousin playing with matches. Firefighters said the girls, both under 5, were trapped in the travel trailer after the fire started.
Investigators said it appeared a number of children were playing in the trailer, including an older child who was playing with matches. When the fire started, the children fled older children fled, leaving the younger girls trapped in the back of the small trailer.
The trailer was in the yard of a small home.
The fire was reported at about 1:30 p.m. on Walter Avenue, south of Edison Highway. Firefighters from the county fire station in Edison were just minutes away from the home, but found it completely on fire when they arrived.
There was no chance to save the children.
The fire captain immediately called for a chaplain and the coroner.
Investigators were interviewing family and neighbors to determine whether there were any adults watching the children when the fire started.
Edison is a community of several hundred people, mostly agricultural workers. The town is located between Edison Highway and Highway 58 about nine miles east of Highway 99.
