Three young children are dead while their mother and toddler sister fight for their lives after a suspect allegedly poured flammable liquid down the chimney which ended with the home lit ablaze.

The Mirror reported that Demi, 14, Lacie, 7, and 8-year-old Brandon Pearson died Monday morning in a blaze that tore through their Greater Manchester home.

The children’s mother, Michelle Pearson, and their 3-year-old sister are currently hospitalized in serious condition. The Daily Mail reported that older brother Kyle, 16, managed to escape through a window and get to safety.

Reports indicated that the mother of six is sedated–unaware that three of her children have perished. The children’s father wasn’t home at the time but has been notified of Demi, Laci, and Brandon’s deaths, according to Metro.

As police search for the killer, a neighbor told The Sun that the suspected arsonist climbed on the roof and poured a flammable liquid down the chimney. The same liquid was also reportedly poured through the home’s letterbox.

The stepfather of one of the surviving children claimed that, before the fire, a man was banging on the door of the Greater Manchester home and was “screaming abuse.” The Daily Mail noted that police were called to the residence mere hours before the deadly blaze occurred.

“The mum was speaking to him out the window, telling him to ‘pack it in’. She called the police. Officers attended. They took statements,” he told the newspaper. “I heard that before the man walked away he yelled, ‘I’ll kill you all’.”

Another neighbor said that Michelle was in a dispute with a man and his girlfriend. The disagreement escalated last week when the man allegedly took a hammer to her home and lit a garbage can on fire, the neighbor said.

“Police were informed of these incidents but supposedly released him without charge,” a family friend commented.

“It’s a disgrace—they have blood on  their hands.”

Recent reports revealed that five people have been arrested in connection with the fatal fire. The Mirror wrote that a 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and that detectives are conducting an “active manhunt.”

Chief Wayne Miller said of the suspect at large, “All I would say is he knows who he is and he should give himself up immediately. I would ask that person to do the right thing.”

[Featured Image: Lacie, Brandon, and Demi Pearson/Facebook]