Investigators believe a house fire that killed three children in Centralia early Friday morning started within feet of this door.
Three children died in an early morning house fire in Centralia, according to the Centralia Police Department. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Three children died in an early morning house fire in Centralia March 4. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod and his staff work at the site of a Centralia house fire that killed three children early Friday morning. McLeod said autopsies would likely be conducted early next week.
The state Senate held a moment of silence this morning for the children of lobbyist Brad Tower. Lawmakers said it was his three children who died in a fire in Centralia this morning.
4:00 p.m.: Authorities Hold Emotional Press Conference After Three Children Die in Fire at Centralia Home
The community is in mourning and investigators are searching for answers after an early morning house fire that killed three Centralia children.
“The death of any child is significant in any community. The loss of three in a community the size of Centralia is truly tragic,” Centralia Police Chief Carl Nielsen said.
Read more here: http://www.chronline.com/crime/truly-tragic-community-reeling-after-deadly-house-fire/article_5ff779b0-e264-11e5-8563-77ace1c40c4a.html
3:15 p.m.: GoFundMe Account Set Up to Support Mother Who Lost Three Children
For those who are seeking ways to support the mother who lost her three children in a deadly house fire this morning, a GoFundMe account has been set up to benefit her.
According to the GoFundMe page: "The purpose of this Go Fund Me account is to help a Centralia mother who lost her three children in a house fire on March 4th 2016. If you would like to help with funeral costs, finding a new home, and everything else that comes with such a devistating tragedy please donate through GoFundMe, or at one of the locations listed below. Gift cards and other donations are welcome and appreciated."
Read more here: https://www.gofundme.com/centralia-fire
2:30 p.m.: Account Open; Cards and Letters of Support Accepted
Security State Bank is accepting monetary donations in an account under the name of Sandra Wing. PostNet in Centralia, at 1121 Harrison Ave., is taking cards and letters of support to the family at its P.O. Box 99.
2:00 p.m.: Centralia Officer Injured Trying to Save Children Is Now Recovering at Home
The Centralia Police Department officer injured while trying to save three children from a burning home early Friday morning is recovering at home.
Philip Weismiller, 36, climbed on the roof of the home at 917 Ham Hill Road in Centralia and tried to break a second-floor window after the fire was reported just before 1 a.m.
In the process, he severely injured his hand, according to his wife, Norma Weismiller.
Read the full update here: http://www.chronline.com/crime/centralia-officer-injured-trying-to-save-children-is-now-recovering/article_3de3e9fe-e254-11e5-95f8-2783202e9536.html
11:55 a.m.: Victims of Fire Were Lobbyist's Children
Colleagues say a Washington state lobbyist is the father of three children killed in a house fire this morning in Centralia.
Police say their mother tried to save the children as they slept upstairs but wasn't able to reach them early Friday. She escaped the flames.
Both houses of the Legislature held moments of silence for Brad Tower's children, and a rabbi and pastor mentioned them in morning prayers. Lt. Gov. Brad Owen and several lawmakers addressed the tragedy, with Owen describing it as "the greatest pain a person could ever have."
Tower has been a lobbyist in Washington since 2000. He has represented the state's community bankers, its dental association and the Washington Christmas Tree Growers.
Authorities haven't officially released the victims' identities.
See video from the state Senate floor here: http://hosted.invintusmedia.com/?clientID=9375922947&eventID=2016031011&autoStart=false&simple=true
11:50 a.m.: Arson Not Suspected
Authorities say there's no reason to suspect arson started a house fire that killed three children in Centralia early this morning.
Centralia police Sgt. Carl Buster says their mother tried to save the children as they slept upstairs but wasn't able to reach them early Friday. She escaped the flames.
He says investigators will need to follow up with the woman, but there's no indication of foul play so far.
Buster says the mother was sleeping on the lower level of the two-story home and could not get through thick smoke and flames when she reached the landing of the stairs to the second floor.
Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire but say they have confirmed it started just inside the front door.
10:35 a.m.:
Det. Sgt. Carl Buster, of the Centralia Police Department, says the Lewis County Coroner’s Office will be in charge of releasing further information about the victims.
He confirmed this morning that the three children who died in an early-morning house fire were school-aged.
A team of investigators, led by Assistant Chief Rick Mack of the Riverside Fire Authority, is working to determine the cause of the fire.
“We took a few items of interest out of the house. We’ll have it analyzed in a lab,” said Buster, who is part of that investigative team.
Investigators believe the fire started a few feet inside the home’s front door, and do not suspect foul play, he said.
Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod told The Chronicle autopsies will likely be conducted early next week.
Centralia Police Officer Philip Weismiller, who was one of the first responders just before 1 a.m. this morning, received serious cut injuries to his hand when he tried to break into a window to rescue the trapped children.
Weismiller required stitches, but is otherwise OK, Buster said.
10:25 a.m.: Centralia School District Increases Counseling Staff for Students
The Centralia School District activated one of its crisis plans this morning, redistributing counseling staff to the affected schools.
Communications and Public Relations Coordinator Ed Petersen said teachers and principals have been pulled from other schools in the area to help students who are emotionally impacted.
Other school districts have also sent resources. The Chehalis School District sent four counselors, Petersen said.
The counselors have been distributed to the affected buildings. Petersen said they are not disclosing the names of the schools or the ages of the students.
Multiple counselors are at the schools and Petersen said that in one building alone there are at least four counselors, as well as principals from other buildings and district staff.
“Our first priority is making sure the kids are taken care of,” Petersen said. “There’s a large number of kids obviously negatively impacted by the news.”
The district will send letters home with the students of the affected buildings to let parents know it’s normal for them to have a grieving process. The letter shares ways to help students through the process.
“We’re really making sure our students’ emotional needs are attended to right now,” Petersen said.
As of now, the district has not planned a memorial or vigil.
Petersen said he and Superintendent Mark Davalos plan to be at the 1 p..m. press conference at the Riverside Fire Authority’s station on Harrison Avenue.
9:30 a.m.: The ages of the children have not been released. Their bodies have been recovered, according to Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod. He said the autopsies will be early next week. A press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. today at the Harrison Avenue Riverside Fire Authority station.
8:25 a.m.:
The Centralia Police Department has confirmed the identity of the injured Centralia police officer as Philip Weismiller, a 36-year-old who has worked for the department for about three years and eight months, according to The Chronicle’s archives. Prior to his employment at Centralia, he worked at the Kelso Police Department for three years and nine months. Weismiller also worked previously as a captain in the U.S. Army and served in the Middle East. The Associated Press reported he sustained a significant hand injury.
8 a.m.:
In response to a Friday morning house fire that left three children dead, the Centralia School District has activated a crisis management plan, allowing for counselors and extra staff to be available for students, said Ed Petersen, school district communications coordinator.
“We in the Centralia School District, along with our entire community, are mourning the loss of three children who were students in our system,” Petersen said in a statement.
6:30 a.m.: Fire investigators have determined that an early morning house fire that killed three Centralia children started within a few feet of the home’s front door.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, said Centralia Police Department Detective Patty Finch.
The fire was reported at 12:46 a.m. Friday in the 900 block of Ham Hill Road.
At that point, the house was already fully engulfed in flames, Finch said.
Centralia Police officers were the first to arrive on the scene. One officer jumped on a car and climbed on the home’s roof in an attempt to gain access to the children’s bedrooms.
The children were all on the second floor, while the mother slept on the first floor.
The officer broke a window, but he wasn’t able to get past the flames to the children. The officer was injured but is going to be OK, Finch said. He suffered a significant hand injury, according to The Associated Press.
The children’s mother was able to get out of the house, according to police.
The Riverside Fire Authority, Chehalis Fire Department, Centralia Police Department, and other agencies are on the scene.
The Lewis County Coroner’s Office was on the scene at about 7 a.m.
The children’s ages have not been released.
The fire is under investigation. The Centralia Police Department plans to release more information later today.
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