Beatty brothers to be laid to rest together

Two young boys who died in a house fire last Thursday will be buried together today.

Cayden Beatty, who would have turned 3 at the weekend, and his brother, Kahvan, 4, perished when flames swept through their Tauranga home.

Their older sister, Shaydene, and mother Natasha escaped the 7.30am inferno, which investigators have found was not suspicious.

"The very least we can do is learn something from this tragedy," Tauranga fire chief Ron Devlin said yesterday. There was no evidence that smoke alarms had been installed in the rented weatherboard house at Otumoetai, he said.

The blaze appeared to have started near a couch in the lounge.

Mr Devlin said investigators were "fairly certain" the children were playing with some sort of ignition source such as matches, a lighter or the fireplace.

Police have revealed that an autopsy established the preliminary cause of the boys' deaths was smoke inhalation and asphyxiation from the effects of the fire. The case has been referred to the coroner.

Mr Devlin, whose call on Friday for a change in the highly flammable materials used in household furniture received wide support, said Tauranga Fire Service members had done a "huge amount" of education to keep homes safe.

"Smoke alarms don't stop or control fires but they do save lives," he said.

The devices were easily installed and inexpensive - "probably cheaper than a Big Mac".