Two summertime fires that caused four deaths and severely injured another person remain under investigation by the Port Arthur Fire Department.

The results of their investigations — and in one case, the progress made thus far — have been released.

Paul Washburn, PAFD fire marshal, said a July 4 fatal fire at Arthur Square Apartments remains under investigation; no criminal charges have been filed.

Information from PAFD show siblings Brooklyn McCray, 2, Brayden Handy, 6, and Jayden Pollard, 12, died from smoke inhabitation and carbon monoxide.

The fire broke out shortly around midnight on the Fourth of July.

Firefighters discovered three children in the apartment and removed them. All three were transported to the Southeast Texas Medical Center, but none survived.

Reports said the children’s mother had taken one of her other children to the hospital when the fire occurred. This is the most fatalities related to a single fire since a 2009 garage apartment fire that left four victims dead.

Three of the mother’s other children were placed with a family member while Child Protective
Services and law enforcement officers investigated the case.

An unrelated fire took the life of a father and severely injured his son while they were working on a vehicle in their garage in the 1200 block of Trinity Avenue on Aug. 2.

Washburn said the final cause of the accidental fire will be considered undetermined. Investigators still do not have details on what the men were doing in the garage at the time of the fire, he said.

Francisco Zepeda, 60, died at the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston from injuries from the fire several days later. His son, Daniel Zepeda, remained hospitalized for some time after the incident. Both men had suffered second- and third-degree burns to most of their bodies.

The fire call came at 1:52 p.m. and firefighters arrived three minutes later. The fire was primarily located in the garage but was spreading inside the attic and to the interior of the home when firefighters arrived. Firefighters were able to stop the spread of the flames but the home received extensive smoke damage.

It appears the son was able to make it to safety, then returned to get his father after the garage door fell on him, temporarily pinning him.