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'We are just taking it day by day,' | One year since the deadly Grimsley Street house fire

One year later, if you drive down the street, the house sits empty. It is still charred and nearly the same as what it looked like after the fire a year ago.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Dec. 12 marks one year since the deadly Grimsley Street house fire. Three kids, all under the age of five, died in the fire.

Greensboro police said when the flames broke out, it was just outside the bedroom where all three children were sleeping.  Police confirmed the kids were home alone. 

One year later, if you drive down the street, the house sits empty.

It is still charred and nearly the same as what it looked like after the fire a year ago. 

The house, at the time, was being rented by Brandi Sturdivant. 

The landlord said the house has not been touched as he waits for it to be released from investigators.

The Greensboro Fire Marshal said it's because this case is not yet closed.  

Fire investigators said the fire had multiple starting points and it's still unclear how it started.

The three kids who died had three other siblings living with them at the time. They were not at home at the time of that fire. 

Essie Moffitt is their grandmother and has been taking care of them since that day.

'It's eerie driving past that house. It gives me chills," Essie Moffitt said. "I am trying to make sure they have a childhood because they've been through a lot. They've been through too much in their little lives and I can't erase the past, but I am trying to make from this day forward a little bit easier for them."

Moffitt said it hasn't been easy. She's on disability and with the unexpected costs of having three new people living with her, she is trying her best to provide for the kids.

"We just take it day by day. It's a struggle, but we just take it one day at a time," Moffitt said.

She said this time of year is difficult because the kids deal with the traumatic day of losing their siblings, along with their mom.

Moffitt said last year, the community came together to help them celebrate Christmas, which helped brighten the tough days, but worries that this year's Christmas might not be everything they hope for, because the finances are tight. 

"I will keep taking care of these kids no matter what. It's just tough," Moffitt said.

The house remains a daily reminder of the past, but in the future, the landlord plans to donate it to Habitat for Humanity when the case finally closes.

Until then, Moffitt said she is working to give the siblings the best life she possibly can.

"They are doing good in school. We're just taking it one day at a time," Moffitt said. "Overall they are doing good, they are coping great. They are still having issues because they don't know how they are supposed to act. I mean losing three siblings and your mom at the same time, I wouldn't even know how to act; these are children."

According to Greensboro police, the kid's mother, Brandi Sturdivant, left the children alone at home just before the fire started.

She also confessed to keeping drugs in the house.

An autopsy report showed cocaine was found in the 4-year-old's system at the time of his death. 

Sturdivant is facing felony child abuse and neglect charges at this time. Her court appearances keep getting continued. Her most recent was supposed to be Dec. 7. 

She is expected to be in court Wednesday.

This fire sparked a state investigation, which found several violations involving Guilford County DSS.

One of the biggest violations was that DSS failed to maintain contact with the family.

Since then, the county has launched a corrective action plan.

It called for more training and more supervisor oversight.

Back in October, DSS released a 90-day review of the changes.

It focused on training for all staff and is working to move children to live with family members when they're unable to live with their parents.

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