Woman and Three Children Missing, Presumed Dead after WA Fire

Jul. 7--A woman and three young children are unaccounted for following a fatal fire early Saturday in a Port Angeles mobile-home park. Valerie Kambeitz, 34; Lilly Kambeitz, 9; Emma Kambeitz, 6; and Jayden Kambeitz, 5; have not been seen since the fire broke out at about 2:30 a.m. in the trailer where they lived, according to Port Angeles police.

Police on Saturday night named Matthew Timothy Wetherington, 34, as a person of interest in the case. Police said investigators believe he also lived in the trailer. He is unaccounted for.

Detectives have not been able to confirm the identities of the deceased persons discovered inside the trailer, and do not know how many people were killed, Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith said Saturday afternoon.

"We are not saying they are the same people who lived in the trailer, what we do know is we have human remains," Smith said. "We are working a very slow and meticulous investigation."

Investigators do not know how the fire started. Police detectives, the Clallam County prosecutor, county coroner and agents with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are at the scene of the fire.

The trailer at the Welcome Inn trailer park off Highway 101 was fully engulfed in flames and the fire had spread to another trailer and burned a vehicle when firefighters arrived. They were able to extinguish the blaze before it spread further.

A man living in the second trailer was able to crawl out of a window to safety as that structure was catching fire, Smith said. No one else was in that trailer, Smith said.

Investigators will continue working through tomorrow to piece together what happened, Smith said. "Fires are particularly difficult, in terms of evidence recovery," Smith said.

"We are hopeful that when we are able to separate the scene carefully we will be able to say how many people were involved here. We haven't put a number on it." Police have no evidence of foul play but also have not ruled it out, Smith said.

"We are prepared for anything in terms of where the facts might take us." He said the department is getting a lot of calls from local people in the community.

"We want anyone with film or video of the fire to share that with us." Multiple people were out taking photos and video of the fire as it burned, he noted.

Investigators ask that persons with information contact the Port Angeles Police Department at 360-452-4545.

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