Mother of young boy killed in Phoenix fire last week also has died

PHOENIX — The mother of a 3-year-old boy killed in an apartment fire in north Phoenix last week has also died, authorities said.

Firefighters responded before 1 p.m. Wednesday to heavy black smoke and flames coming from a first floor apartment of a three-story complex near 2nd Avenue and Bell Road, the Phoenix Fire Department said.

They established a water supply and entered the building for search and rescue.

A woman and her child were inside when the fire started. The boy, Maximus Hodges, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The mother, 37-year-old Ashley Sutter, was taken to a local burn center in extremely critical condition. She died the next day, the Phoenix Police Department said.

An adult male suffered lacerations after attempting to enter the burning apartment before the fire department arrived, authorities said.

Additionally, two firefighters were transported to the hospital to be treated for minor burns.

Crews were able to gain control of the fire and prevent it from spreading throughout the building.

Investigators were working to determine the cause of the fire.

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