Police have released the names of a father and son who died in a Coventry house fire Friday night.
Edward Lorenzen, 47, and his 4-year-old son, Michael, were found in a home on Colonial Road after firefighters arrived at the scene.
Four people were in the house when the fire broke out around 6:30 p.m., according to Coventry’s fire chief. One, 13-year-old Zacheri Lorenzen, was able to grab his 2-year-old sister and escape.
Firefighters have not yet determined the cause of the fire but said arson is not suspected. Firefighters also said there were no working smoke detectors in the home.
Lorenzen was a well-known congressional staffer in Washington, D.C., who had worked on congressional budget issues for various senators and agencies. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer issued a press release on Sunday expressing his remorse over the death of Lorenzen and his son.
“Ed was a devoted servant to his country,” Hoyer said in the release, “a wonderful father to his children, and a great friend to me.”