CURLEW, Wash. -- Ferry County Sheriff's investigators confirm that bones have been found at the Curlew apartment fire scene. It is not known if the bones are human or animal. A forensic anthropologist is analyzing the remains.
14 families escaped the flames the broke out around 5:00 a.m. Tuesday. The fire grew so quickly some people were forced to jump to safety right out of their apartment windows. Officials say at least three people were taken to the hospital with injuries as result of this fire. Two of them are at Ferry County Memorial Hospital another was taken to Harborview in Seattle. Three more people are unaccounted for at this time. The Red Cross was on scene to help the victims, and some neighbors risked their lives helping others escape the fire.
The whole community of Curlew is devastated, but if it wasn't for Rick Weaver, there might have been more casualties.
Through the night and into the morning, fire roared through an old school house turned into an apartment building. Rick Weaver, a tenant living at the converted apartment complex says someone rapped on his kitchen window screaming for help.
"I seen flames coming out of the back of the apartment so I knocked on everybody's door and go everybody out," said Weaver.
Two people, a brother and sister jumped from a two story window to safety. Weaver says he and a friend carried them to a car. "She was severely burned badly all over her body and everything. When she jumped she was on fire," said Weaver.
The female was flown to Harborview in Seattle, the brother was taken to a local hospital. Weaver says once he got the two to safety he had a bigger task ahead, saving more people. Most importantly, the woman's family.
"She said her kids and her mom were still up in there and we knew they were in there we knew that three people lived there and her brother lives above me. When I saw them I knew the grandmother and the kids were still in there," said Weaver.
By the time Weaver got to the front doors the fire had completely taken over. "Tried to go back into the apartment but by then the place was engulfed. I mean the doors was poppin' and then everything and then the car started on fire, by then it was too late. The kids didn't make it out and neither did the grandmother," said Weaver.
Weaver says the saddest part is that he has known the family and the kids for years. "We tried, we did what we can do. It's a pretty sad eerie feeling," said Weaver.
