Community 'devastated' by deadly fire

On Tuesday, investigators were at the scene of a deadly fire that claimed the life a a three-year-old girl on Monday near Weippe.

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Story Published: Nov 3, 2009 at 9:21 PM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 3, 2009 at 9:21 PM PDT

By Matt Loveless

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WEIPPE - Investigators are still trying to find the cause of a fire that took the life of a 3-year-old Clearwater County girl.

The fire was reported at about 1:00 p.m. Monday at 121 Lombard, just west of Weippe. Clearwater County Chief Deputy Rick Miller confirmed the child's death Monday.

Two others, a 40-year-old woman and 14-month old girl, were able to get out of the burning building, but Weippe firefighters said the trailer was already fully engulfed in flames when they got on scene.

"It was reported that there was a child still inside the home," said Chief Deputy Rick Miller.

Miller said neighbors tried to break out windows to get to the 3-year-old, but were unsuccessful. The 14-month-old was taken to Clearwater Valley Hospital, while 40-year-old Fawn Robles, who Miller said is the grandmother of the children, was airlifted to Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane.

Miller said they had been talking to witnesses and said the town is devastated by the tragedy.

"We've had people contact us," said Miller. "The Weippe Fire Department has already started clothes collecting for the family."

Investigators spent Tuesday sorting through the rubble, trying to find a cause and and origin of the fire. Miller said they are not labeling it as suspicious.

"It's a real slow process as you can tell," said Miller. "The home has been really severely structurally damaged and we're taking our time, since it was a fatality, to try to determine what the cause of the fire was."

Miller said the 14-month-old was treated and released. Robles was upgraded to satisfactory condition at Deaconess Tuesday.

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