Posted on 07/19/2006 8:13:53 AM PDT by XR7
Red Cross officials have contacted the military commander of a Kirkland man whose family died in a house fire Monday afternoon, and he is expected to return from overseas in the coming days, authorities said Tuesday.
Two children, at least one adult and another person, possibly a teenager, were found dead after a fire destroyed a home in the 9500 block of Slater Avenue Northeast about 11:30 a.m.
Kirkland Fire Marshal Grace Steuart said investigators with the King County Medical Examiner's Office were able to remove the victims from the home late Monday.
The Medical Examiner's Office has not released the names of the victims, but county records show the home belonged to Leonid Milkin, 29, and Olga Milkin, 28.
Neighbors also confirmed their names and that they had a 6-year-old son who attended Mark Twain Elementary School, and one other young son.
Sgt. Leonid Milkin was informed of the fire, was returning to the state from Iraq and would be released from active duty as soon as possible, Maj. Philip Osterli of the Washington National Guard said Tuesday.
The National Guard was working under the assumption that it was Milkin's family that died in the fire, Osterli said.
Investigators with the Kirkland fire investigation team, which includes police and fire personnel, began working Tuesday to determine what started the deadly blaze.
Fire officials did not immediately know whether the home had working smoke detectors.
"The house is so badly damaged that it's hard to tell if there were smoke detectors," Steuart said. "Even if there were, I'm not sure if we'll be able to tell, at this juncture, whether they were in working order."
Neighbors were the first to report the fire and, even then, callers worried that someone might be in the home.
But by the time firefighters arrived, the house was already engulfed in smoke and flames, and crews would have been unable to reach anyone inside.
It took fire crews, with help from Redmond and Woodinville, nearly an hour to douse the flames. But the house was so badly damaged by the fire that it was four more hours before firefighters were able to enter what remained of it.
That's when they discovered the four victims, all on the second floor of the home, Steuart said.
"I've been with Kirkland for 18 years, and this is the first multifatality fire that I've seen since I've been here. Nobody could recall one this bad."
Investigators began working inside the home Tuesday, but there were no ready explanations for the fire.
"This is such a large investigation, and there are so many pieces to it," Steuart said.
I certainly will.
I am so sorry for him.
Prayers going up for this brave soldier. :*(
He has such an ordeal ahead of him now. May God
give him strength to endure the sorrow and pain of
losing his family. :*(
Many, many prayers for this soldier and all the people that feel this loss. God Bless them all.
God Help Him
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Prayers for Sergeant Milikin!!
Praying for this sergeant.
prayer ping
Oh, this is just awful. This poor, poor family. Prayers for all.
"My heart aches.
Remember Sergeant Milikin in your prayers." I will. I am.
Prayers sent
I can't even imagine.
I hope he has an extended family and members of his family of origin to help him though this awful time.
Dear Lord hear our prayers for Sergeant Milikin and his family.
Oh, my. Prayers indeed.
This is so terribly sad. Prayers on the way.
Oh man, that's just tragic. Prayers go out for him. May God give him strength and comfort in the difficult days ahead.
Praying's good. How about we dig up some cash donations for this poor guy? I'll go a hundred if someone will establish a fund. Jim Rob?
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