A Michigan guy started out a fire in a burn up pit just toes absent from his family’s house that killed his wife and the couple’s 3 little ones, law enforcement reported.

Robert Scales, 38, is struggling with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in the February blaze in Grand Rapids that killed Wanedia Scales, 35, and their 3 youngsters, 15-yr-outdated Xavier Woldeab, 10-year-aged Elijah Scales and 14-12 months-aged Robert Scales Jr., Wooden-Tv reports.

Scales, who mentioned he was doing work at the time of the Feb. 5 blaze, admitted to commencing a fire in a burn off pit about six toes absent from the home the evening prior to, law enforcement wrote in an affidavit of possible trigger.

Fire investigators said the blaze afterwards unfold to the residence, which experienced a mattress placed concerning it and the fire pit, police claimed.

A male instructed investigators he was with Scales as he burned leaves in the pit, but left the household at about 7 p.m. on Feb. 4 and noticed no mattress near the hearth pit at the time, in accordance to the affidavit.

“He said that he told Robert he essential to get a greater pit and shift it absent from the house,” police wrote.

The pit was just 6 toes away from the home and eight ft from a detached garage, MLive.com reports.

Family members, meanwhile, instructed Wooden-Tv they believe that Scales, who surrendered to police late past week, established the blaze intentionally and want supplemental charges filed in the lethal fireplace.

Just five months previously, Wanedia Scales sought a individual security get in opposition to her partner, proclaiming he had threatened to “burn the home down” with her inside of, MLive.com reports.

Scales also reportedly accused her husband of vandalizing their household and threatening to hurt her.

“I am begging you,” Wanedia Scales wrote in the request, which was not accredited. “I am terrified for my existence. I really do not know what else to do. I have to have assistance be sure to.”