8 dead in Oklahoma after house fire, and a homicide investigation is underway

Eight people are dead after a fire at a home in Oklahoma, and police have launched a homicide investigation, officials said Thursday.

Police in Broken Arrow, in the Tulsa area, called the home a complex scene and said the circumstances are under investigation. It is not clear how the people died.

A family of eight — two adults and six children — lived in the home, police spokesperson Ethan Hutchins told reporters at the scene in a briefing broadcast by local media. Hutchins did not confirm they were the victims, who he said were being identified.

The fire was reported around 4 p.m. Thursday.

“It is a complex scene given the state of the house due to the fire damage. This remains under investigation,” police said in a statement.

Police said there was no threat to the public and planned another news conference Friday.

Police Chief Brandon Berryhill asked for prayers.

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“Broken Arrow stands together. We will mourn together, and in the end we will heal together. Please pray for those who have lost their lives, and for our first responders who are dealing with a tragedy of this magnitude,” Berryhill said in a statement.

Hutchins said that the incident was tragic and that it's unusual for Broken Arrow, a city of around 113,000 southeast of Tulsa.

"This is a very safe city, and homicides don’t happen here normally," Hutchins said. "This is the first homicide incident in Broken Arrow this year."

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting in the investigation. Special agents, task force officers and an accelerant detection dog responded from the ATF's Dallas field division, agency spokesman Erik Longnecker said.