I don't "know," but considering the six years I've spent in this area - Memphis is just over an hour away - I'm willing to make a few guesses.
For various reasons, most homes that did not have central air conditioning installed at the time they were first built do not have it today.
Homes of 1500 sq. ft. or less are often cooled by a large 220v. "window" unit, usually placed in the dining room window. Such units typically have an additional fused disconnect double-tapped into the old 60-amp meter base. From there Romex is run unsecured on the floor of the crawl space to a convenient vent, where it ends in a box mounted on the outside wall. This box feeds a 220v. receptacle in the inside face of the wall, quite close to the air conditioner.
With this in mind, I'm willing to guess that there were no extension cords or power strips involved.
I'm also willing to guess that bedroom doors and such were kept open.
I'll bet there was only one smoke detector, probably a battery unit, and that one in the living room.
I'm actually impressed with the specifics of the press report, and the details they included. I believe extension cords would have been specified had they been an issue.
10-12 people in such a small house? Reports indicated it wasn't that severe of a fire. Reports also made clear that the people were not trapped inside by, for example, window bars.
One adult had just left, to go to the store. This suggests that this is not an instance of everyone being passed out from drugs or booze.
With at least six kids inside, odds favor at least some of them being old enough / large enough to be able to open the door or wake an adult.
It just doesn't make sense. I guess that fate just will not be denied.
