A fire at a home in northwest Alaska killed a woman and 5 children, officials say

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A woman and five children have died in a fire at a home in a small northwest Alaska village, Alaska State Troopers said Thursday.

The remains of the six have been recovered from the home in Noorvik, an Inupiat community of about 650 people located just over 500 miles (804 kilometers) northwest of Anchorage. The children authorities believe were killed range in age from 9 to 16, troopers spokesperson Tim DeSpain said by email.

He said he would not have additional information about the victims until the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage finishes identifying them.

The fire started about 6 a.m. Wednesday. Firefighters extinguished the blaze but the home was destroyed, Chris Hatch, the public safety director for the Northwest Arctic Borough told the Anchorage Daily News. Hatch didn’t immediately return a call Thursday to The Associated Press.

Troopers said it appears a fire started near a stove that was reportedly in poor condition. However, troopers said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The names of the victims have not been released. Troopers said they were still notifying relatives.