SNOHOMISH – Smoke inhalation caused the deaths of four people who were killed in a mobile home fire here Tuesday morning, according to the Snohomish police chief.
Police Chief John Turner said he received that word in a preliminary report from the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The victims were Maria “Sandra” Montaño, 28; her daughters Ashley, 7 and Yareli, 4; and her sister, Petra “Claudia” Montaño, 25.
Their bodies were found in a bedroom of the mobile home in the 1330 block of Avenue D in Snohomish, Turner said.
The medical examiner’s office declined to discuss the report.
Officials continue to comb through the remains of the gutted structure today.
“We are still at the scene,” Turner said today. “It looks like we will be at the scene at least until 2 p.m.”
Officials have to yet find out what caused the fire, which broke out just before 7 a.m. Tuesday in a mobile home across the street from Snohomish Fire Department headquarters.
The fire is considered suspicious. A specially trained dog detected signs of a flammable accelerant at the scene, but it is too early to know whether the blaze was deliberately set, officials said.
Meanwhile, a community meeting has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, 1512 Pine Ave. in Snohomish.
Officials plan to answer questions about the fire and share safety tips. Counselors are expected to attend the meeting as well to help people deal with stress and anxiety.
“There are a lot of questions out there,” Turner said. “There are a lot of heartaches out there.”
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
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