A house explosion in Defiance, Missouri, on Friday morning tragically killed brothers Julian, 4, and Jamison Keiser, 6. Their school had canceled classes due to extreme weather, leaving them home when the blast occurred.

Their mother, Evelyn Turpiano, and grandparents, Jennifer and Vern Ham, escaped safely. Firefighters arrived but were unable to reach the boys in time due to intense flames.

Neighbor Sharon Oberlag described them as “the nicest little boys” who loved school. The Hoffmann Family of Companies, the building’s owners, expressed condolences: “Our hearts are with our team member and their family.”