This morning at approximately 2:55 am, Fire and Law responded to a carport on fire at a residence on Elma Hicklin Road East of McCleary.  The reporting party attempted to put the fire out however it quickly spread to the residence.  Once the fire department was able to suppress the fire, two bodies were discovered within the residence. 

Fire investigators from the Sheriff’s Office are on scene conducting an investigation.  A request for assistance was also made to ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives).  At this point, it is unknown the cause of the fire and whether or not it was criminal in nature.

The identities of the bodies have been tentatively identified as an adult male and female, both from McCleary; however not confirmed.

We have added to our original story this update from Chief Criminal Deputy Steve Shumate that was recieved Friday morning. 

As a follow-up to yesterday’s fire, investigators are continuing today to process the scene.  Detectives with the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office are being assisted by investigators from the Aberdeen and Hoquiam Police Departments, Grays Harbor County Drug Task Force, and ATF. 

Family members of the two occupants of the home, who are believed to be the victims of the fire, have been notified.  However, our agency will not be providing the names of the victims until their identities have been confirmed.

Again at this point the cause of the fire is unknown as well as the nature of the fire.

We want to thank the McCleary Fire and Police Departments for their quick response as well as their assistance with this fire.  More importantly, we want to express our condolences to the family of those we believe are the victims of the fire.  This was truly a very tragic event.

A tragic fire this morning out of McCleary first posted as an alert to our Facebook Page Grays Harbor Scanner resulted in 2 deaths. 

More on that from Cheif Criminal Deputy Steve Shumate of the Grays Harbor Sherriffs Department.