The mother of three children who were killed in a fire at their Colesville apartment remains critically injured. Fire officials say 30-year-old Elsie Nuka is being treated at Baltimore Shock Trauma. Her three daughters, four-month-old Makenzie Foncham, 2-year-old Megan Foncham and 4-year-old Chanelle Foncham all died at hospitals. Investigators believe the fire started in the kitchen after the mother placed a plastic device used to sterilize baby bottles near the stove. The mother then apparently went to sleep before being awakened by a smoke alarm.

It appears she tried to put out the fire by unplugging the sterilizer and throwing some of the burning materials into a bathtub, but she was overcome by the smoke

US immigration officials say the children's father, Ignatius Foncham, wasn't home when the fire broke out early Thursady morning because he's in custody and waiting to be deported back to Cameroon.

Officials say they're "working with Foncham to fulfill his needs" following the fire, but won't provide further details. The three children were US citizens, but Nuka's citizenship is unclear.