The Hampton fire marshal says an unattended candle likely started the fire that killed three people in an apartment building earlier this month.

Fire Marshal Anne-Marie Loughran said Thursday that the fire began in a second-floor apartment. The candle was in a wall sconce in the living room.

The December 4 fire killed 72-year-old Jeanette Manchion and her great-grandchildren: eight-year-old Jaida Custodio and seven-year-old Jordin Custodio. Loughran said six people lived in the apartment.

Nine people were treated for injuries, including two children and one adult who jumped from a second-story window. Forty-one residents were displaced.