A mother and her three young children died in a tragic house fire on Thursday morning in Barangay San Vicente, Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Authorities are investigating the possibility of arson after initial findings suggested the blaze may have been deliberately set.

According to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), two unidentified men were seen shouting "fire" and forcibly breaking the gate of the victims’ home at the height of the blaze. Firefighters responded to the scene but found the victims already trapped inside the burning structure.

SFO3 Alfredo Hernandez, the chief fire investigator of Sta. Maria BFP, reported that the body of a one-year-old boy was discovered on a bed, while his two siblings—aged three and six—were found crying in the bathroom. All three children, along with their mother, were rushed to a nearby hospital but were later declared dead.

Investigators said the children’s father was at work in Batangas at the time of the incident.

Barangay San Vicente Chairman Potenciano Lorenzo disclosed that, shortly before the fire, the mother had gone to the barangay hall to file a blotter report regarding issues with her husband. Mediation between the couple was scheduled but had not yet occurred before the fatal incident.

Arson investigators are now looking into the possibility that the fire was intentionally set, after matches and a bottle of paint thinner were found inside the house. These items are commonly used as accelerants in deliberate fires.

Authorities have yet to identify suspects or establish a clear motive, and the investigation remains ongoing.