The family who lost six people in a motel fire in Benton Harbor has filed a civil lawsuit.

The Curtis family lost Kiarre Curtis and five of her children in the fire at the Cosmo Extended Stay Inn in July of last year.

Investigators say the fire was the result of “careless use of a hotplate,” a decision that surprised and disappointed the family, who said the facts suggested otherwise.

The Berrien County Prosecutor’s office said there was no evidence of arson. An attorney for the family says race and class played a role in the prosecutor’s office decision.