This photograph was taken by a neighbor early in March after a house fire was reported in the 900 block of Ham Hill Road. Three children were unable to escape and perished in the blaze.
Ben, Maddy, and Sam Tower pose with their mother Sue at Christmas. A celebration of life is scheduled for March 23.
Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod announced Friday that the official cause of death of Sam, 7, Maddy, 10, and Ben Tower, 12, was asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation.
Their manner of death is still listed as “undetermined.”
“The cause of the fire has not been determined yet,” McLeod told The Chronicle Friday. “As long as that’s not determined, then our manner of death is undetermined.”
The Centralia Police Department is investigating the cause of the fire, and has not yet made a formal statement on the results of its investigation. A press release late Friday said it could be up to two weeks before the department releases its findings.
The Coroner’s Office had to wait for toxicology reports, which typically take at least six weeks, to be sure of the cause of death, McLeod said.
The three children died in a fire reported just after midnight on March 4 in the 900 block of Ham Hill Road in Centralia.
The children’s mother, Sue Tower, the only other person home when the fire started, was uninjured. She reportedly tried to reach the children, who were sleeping in upstairs bedrooms, but was driven back by heat and flames. Firefighters and Centralia police officers attempted to reach the children, but were unsuccessful.
Two fundraisers have been scheduled for this weekend in memory of the children.
A Dinner with a Purpose in Honor of Ben, Maddy and Sam is scheduled for 6 p.m. today at Hub City Grub at 701 Pioneer Way in Centralia.
Tickets are $30 per person. The event includes a dinner, live auction and entertainment. Tickets are available through the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce.
A Family Fun Day in Honor of Ben, Maddy and Sam is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Northwest Sports Hub at 701 Allen Ave. in Centralia.
Tickets are $5 a person or $20 for a family of five. The event will have something for every age, including carnival games, bounce houses, a magician and food. Tickets are available at the door.
Proceeds from both fundraisers will go toward Camp Cispus scholarships for children. For more information on both of the fundraisers go the the Facebook Page “Family Fun Day in Honor of Ben, Maddy & Sam.”
