4 SISTERS DIE IN FIRE; ARSON CAUSE OF TRAGEDY AT SAUGUS HOME, OFFICIALS SAY.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande and Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writers

Four young sisters died Wednesday afternoon at the hands of an arsonist who set at least one small, smoldering fire inside their Santa Clarita Valley home, authorities said.

A 911 call from a woman who said she couldn't awaken her daughters led sheriff's deputies to the grim discovery of four girls - ages 5, 7, 11 and 12 - dead on the kitchen floor of their smoke-filled home. Their bodies were not burned and showed no signs of trauma, officials said.

Paramedics who answered the 1:16 p.m. call were met at the door of the rented house by the girls' mother, Sandi Nieves, 34, who was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She sat subdued on the curb as paramedics administered oxygen to her and her 14-year-old son, whose clothes were covered in soot.

When officers arrived, the fire was already out, said Sgt. David Halm. All of the girls were found sleeping in their pajamas and had been sleeping in the kitchen in a slumber party atmosphere.

Nieves and the boy were then taken to a local hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, and were listed in stable condition late Wednesday.

Authorities also found one dead cat and another cat that was nearly dead inside the home.

Early in their investigation, detectives found evidence of foul play and obtained a search warrant. Investigators said they had not ruled out a possible murder-suicide attempt and intended to question the mother at length.

Long after darkness fell, detectives were removing evidence in paper bags from the house, in the 27400 block of Cherry Creek Drive.

``We have two people who were alive in the house,'' said sheriff's Lt. Frank Merriman. ``We want to talk to them and we want to find out what happened.''

Detectives became suspicious when they found a flammable substance poured on the kitchen floor and saw that the family's van had been backed up against the garage door of the single-story house, possibly to block an escape, officials said.

``It was set, as opposed to an accident,'' Merriman said of the smoky fires, which apparently had burned for more than an hour.

Neighbor Jim Jernigan said he had smelled smoke early in the day, but passed it off as a distant brush fire.

``I smelled smoke at about noon,'' Jernigan said. ``I looked around and thought it must be in the canyon. There was no smoke coming out of the house, so I didn't think anything about it.''

News of the deaths stunned the dozens of neighbors who milled around the police tape surrounding the house. Inside the police barrier was a man who spoke frequently to deputies and identified himself as Nieves' former boyfriend.

Asked his relationship to the woman, he said, ``She's carrying my child.'' Officials refused to say whether Nieves is pregnant.

Officials also refused to release the names of the dead girls, saying their fathers - two other men - had not been notified.

However, a school official and neighbors said the 11-year-old victim was Rashel Nieves-Folden, who had just graduated from the sixth grade at Santa Clarita Elementary, a year-round school that two of her sisters also attended.

Counselors will be on hand at the school today to help students and teachers work through their grief.

``It's a tragedy any time there's a loss of a child's life,'' said Gail Wickstrom, superintendent of the Saugus school district. ``It's a great loss.''

Santa Clarita Elementary Principal Myron Groch described the three girls as solid students who adapted well after transferring in mid-April from the Riverside County city of Perris.

``The mom was supportive of the school. She was in communication with teachers, making sure (the girls) were never in trouble,'' Groch said.

The Santa Clarita Elementary yearbook shows a picture of a grinning Rashel, who listed Christmas as her favorite holiday and ``No, really'' as her favorite phrase. Rashel wanted to be an artist, or perhaps a lawyer.

Groch also said Rashel's 7-year-old sister routinely stayed after school to help her teacher.

``She would help her get ready for the next day,'' he said.

But for the most part, the family was a quiet group, neighbors said. Some were surprised to learn that such a large family lived in the home. Others said they had seen the children's fathers visiting on weekends.

``They were a very quiet bunch,'' said David Medina, 11, who lives across the street. ``The children never came out to play with the other kids.''

Daily News Staff Writer Mary Schubert contributed to this story.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1) Rashel Nieves-Folden, 11, is believed to be one of the victims of Wednesday's fire.

(2) Sheriff's officials gather at the fire site, a Saugus home in the 27400 block of Cherry Creek Drive.

David Crane/Daily News