Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated at 5:04 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

WINLOCK – The scene was somber as an investigator examined the area inside the blackened shell of what was a two-story house, hovering in the basket of a manlift while firefighters assisted below.

“We believe we have a location of one of the victims,” Winlock Police Department Chief Terry Williams announced shortly after 12:15 p.m.

A woman and two little girls didn’t make it out when fire broke out overnight. A father and two boys are said to be in the care of the Red Cross.

“It’s just heart wrenching,” Winlock Mayor Lonnie Dowell said.

“My heart goes out to them,” Dowell said. “I can’t imagine losing half my family.”

The north end of the main street through the little town that sits three miles west of Interstate 5 is blocked off today, with barricades and yellow tape.

Chief Williams said the blended family had lived there perhaps a year; they were renting. He didn’t release any names.

“I knew of them,” Williams said.

Former Mayor Glen Cook who operated the machine to help Fire Investigator Samuel Patrick take photos from above, lives just down the street. Cook said when he phoned 911, he could see a little glow at the back of the house. Before he could finish explaining the location to the call taker, flames were coming out everywhere on the first floor, he said.

Another neighbor spoke of an explosion that rocked his house and woke his family up.

Chief Williams was dispatched at 2:45 a.m., just 10 minutes after the fire department was called out. He had only initial information from the man who lived there.

“The father indicated he grabbed the two boys and headed out the door,” Williams said. “She was right behind him, and he told her to get down, get down low.”

She didn’t come out, Williams said.

“He’s not even certain what happened,” Williams said of the father.

The residence, at 807 N.E. First Street, was built in 1904, according to county records. The Lewis County Assessor’s most recent information notes the one bathroomed home as in fair to average condition and heated with space heaters.

A representative of Puget Sound Energy said it was served by natural gas.

The front door of the main floor faced First Street. The house had a sort of basement on the backside, so it could be considered three stories, Williams said. Today, the top floor was gone.

Assisting Williams and his department were detectives from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Napavine Police Chief Chris Salyers, and members of the fire departments.

They were taking up debris layer by layer, searching for victims. Specialists from the Washington State Patrol came to create a map of the premises, once a suspected victim was found.

A fire investigator for Puget Sound Energy arrived at about noon.

Williams said the oldest of the children is a 9-year-old boy. The school district sent out a message this morning stating they will be providing support as needed to students and staff.

Mayor Dowell said a vigil is going to be held tonight, at the park in the center of town where the giant egg is. Umpqua Bank is accepting donations in an account already set up, he said.

Williams, who has been a police officer in Winlock since 1979, said its the third fire with child victims he can recall.

“They’re never easy, especially when there’s children,” he said.

Update: Just after 4 p.m. today, Chief Williams indicated investigators have recovered the remains of three victims, by way of the department’s Facebook page. The investigation into the cause of the fire will continue, according to Williams.
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For background, read “Possibly fatal house fire erupts in Winlock” from Thursday February 26, 2015 at 6:14 a.m., here

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Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 26th, 2015 at 3:39 pm and is filed under Top story of the day. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.