Associated Press and Herald staff
OAK HARBOR — A fire that killed a mother and two young children in Oak Harbor on Sunday has been ruled an accident.
Laura White, 25, and her children, Ivylynn, 5, and Imriel, 3, died from the fire, autopsies determined.
The “tragic accident” might have been caused by an electrical issue, Island County sheriff’s detective Ed Wallace said at a news conference Thursday. The exact cause of the fire has not been confirmed, but preliminary findings indicate that is the case, he said.
Laura White’s body was found outside the home along DeGraff Road.
“Mrs. White died trying to get help for her children,” Wallace said. “We want to make that very clear.”
Laura White’s husband, Alex White, was not there when the fire broke out. He was shopping in Burlington at the time. Detectives confirmed that timeline with receipts and text messages, Wallace said.
The husband arrived as crews were extinguishing the flames.
The house was too damaged to determine whether there were smoke alarms.
A complete story about the fire and information shared by officials Thursday is available from The Whidbey News Times at http://bit.ly/2hNCAP2
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