The fire that killed a sleeping mother and her four daughters in Accrington, Lancashire was started deliberately, possibly by someone within the property, British police said today.
Mohammed Riaz (49), the husband of the dead women and father of the four girls, was rescued from the fire in the early hours of this morning. He is critically ill in hospital.
The dead were named as Caneze Riaz (39) and her children, aged from three to 16.
"Early indications for the inquiry so far are that whoever set the fire and carried out some other suspicious activity, which I cannot go into at this stage, did not leave the premises," Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell told a news conference. "However, I cannot discount that a scene has been staged to suggest this."
"There were several seats of fire inside the house and accelerants have been used," Det Supt Gradwell said. "The cause of the fire is therefore deliberate ... the house was secure and was locked from the inside."
A murder inquiry has been launched.
Mrs Riaz headed a child improvement programme for the Hyndburn Cultural Association, which works with schools and mosques.
Munsif Dad, the programme manager, said she was a "warm, kind and sincere person".
He paid tribute to her "high civic virtues" and said she was a "beacon" for building good relations between different backgrounds.
"She was in a unique position to do this as Caneze, although a Muslim, came from a mixed English and Pakistani background and was therefore well placed to understand the concerns and feelings of everyone," he said.