WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Charges will not be filed in the West Bloomfield Township fire that killed three children.
A 12-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old girl were killed on Feb. 2, 2025, when a house caught fire in the 5000 block of Pembury Lane.
Firefighters were called to the house around 8 p.m.
“In maybe about 10 minutes, that house was up in flames,” neighbor Jewelette Estes said. “From the time we called the police to the time they got here, it was already too late.”
Fire crews forced their way inside the home and found the three trapped children. All three were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
One of the teenagers was a student at West Bloomfield High School.
Firefighters said there were no smoke detectors in the home, and they said the parents were cooperating with the investigation.
The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to WDIV on Nov. 3, 2025, that there won’t be any criminal charges in this case.
Investigators concluded the deaths of Hannah, Jeremiah, and Jacob Oliora resulted from a tragic accident. The security measures in the home were the result of a caring and expert-informed effort to protect the two boys, who were both autistic. Jeremiah, who was non-verbal, had repeatedly endangered himself by leaving the home unsupervised.
This tragedy was not a crime. When you take a step back, it’s clear this is the story of two parents who took the necessary steps to try to protect their kids and support their family under challenging circumstances. It is also a reminder that our society must do more to support families struggling to provide safe, secure, and loving homes for their special needs children.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald
“It is with a heavy heart and tremendous sadness that we share that a WBHS junior was fatally injured in a house fire last night along with two siblings who attended schools outside our district. A tragedy like this impacts all of us differently and the grief we feel can manifest in many ways.”
West Bloomfield Schools