Two Children Die in Overnight Fire

In Dorchester early this morning, two children died in a fire that may have been caused by a space heater.

The fire started in a triple-decker on 44 Bellevue Street. The Globe reports, "Fire officials said a couple with five children lived on the first floor. Four of them, including the two who died, were sleeping in the room where the fire broke out."

WCVB identified the victims as 9-year-old Rebecca Zizi and 11-year-old Rooben Zizi.

Multiple news outlets have quoted the city's fire chief as saying that space heaters can be dangerous, although the official cause hasn't been determined yet. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a list of recommendations for space heaters, including that space heaters should be "at least three feet away from objects such as bedding, furniture and drapes."

Map image from Google.