Deadly House Fire: Group Calls For Hate Crime Investigation

DENVER, CO — Five members of a Senegalese-American Muslim family died in a house fire Wednesday in Denver's Green Valley Ranch neighborhood. The fire is being investigated as a possible arson, and the Washington, D.C.-based civil rights organization Muslim Advocates is calling on Denver police to launch a hate crime investigation.

“We are praying for the family and friends of those killed in the fire," Scott Simpson, Muslim Advocates’ public advocacy director, said in a statement.

"Our hearts are also with Denver’s Senegalese community and all Denverites. Law enforcement authorities must take this suspected murder and arson seriously. Muslims in Colorado may have been threatened by hate-motivated arson before and hate crimes in the state are on the rise.

"We call on law enforcement to immediately investigate whether the deadly fire in Green Valley Ranch was motivated by hate. The family of those lost and the Muslim community in Denver deserve justice and peace of mind.”

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In a news conference Thursday in Green Valley Ranch, Mayor Michael Hancock said he has "full faith" that Denver police will conduct a thorough investigation. He urged community members to contribute to a fundraiser to help pay for a memorial service for the family.

A police officer saw the fire at 5312 North Truckee Street and called fire crews around 2:40 a.m. The officer tried to rescue people inside the home, but was pushed back by the heat, fire officials said.

When firefighters arrived, the home was engulfed in flames.

Three people jumped from the second story, but five people remained inside the home and died, the Denver Fire Department said.

Djibril Diol was one of the victims in the fire, his friends and family wrote on the fundraising page.

"Djiby, his wife, his sister, his daughter and his niece all passed away. Djiby a cared for his family, his brothers and parents," the post read.

"Djiby a young man with a promising future in Civil Engineering has left behind a community that he so deeply loved and cared for. We are saddened by the loss of a loving Dad, a nurturing husband, and a caring brother to all of us."

Denver police and fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire. No further details about the case were released.

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