Three die in Mattawa house fire

MATTAWA — The bodies of a mother and two small children were found in the remains of a Mattawa home destroyed by fire.

Neighbors found the residence on fire late Wednesday night and attempted to rescue the occupants, according to Grant County Emergency Management spokesperson Kyle Foreman.

The home was once a single-wide mobile home, divided into a duplex.

When Grant County Fire District 8 responded to the scene at 11:54 p.m., the home and two vehicles were engulfed in fire, Foreman stated.

The fire started with a faulty extension cord, said Grant County Undersheriff John Turley.

Firefighters discovered the bodies while putting out the fire.

They were transferred to the Grant County Coroner’s Office for identification and autopsies. The family was suspected to have died from smoke inhalation, Turley added.

The fire is under investigation by the Grant County Fire Marshal’s Office.

— Staff report