The house in Defiance, Missouri, exploded on Friday morning, tragically killing two young boys, Julian Keiser, 4, and Jamison Keiser, 6. Their school had canceled classes due to extreme weather, leaving them at home when the explosion occurred. Their mother, Evelyn Turpiano, and grandparents, Jennifer and Vern Ham, managed to escape safely.

Firefighters arrived but couldn’t reach the boys in time due to the intense flames. “The fire prevented them from being found right away,” stated Chief Dan Casey of

the New Melle Fire Protection District. Neighbor Sharon Oberlag, who heard the explosion, described the boys as “the nicest little boys,” adding, “They thought school was the coolest thing ever.”

The Hoffmann Family of Companies, the building’s owners, expressed their condolences: “Our hearts are with the member of our team and their family who lost their children and grandchildren.” Read more below