Wednesday, March 8, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Official: Space heater
caused blaze that killed 4
29
SHELTER: Site for
facility has moved
to a new church
Continued from page 1
By Gillian Flaccus
Associated Press
PORTLAND (AP) — A
house fire in rural Oregon that
killed four children and criti-
cally burned three other fam-
ily members started with a
portable space heater that was
being used after a fireplace
malfunctioned, a volunteer
fire chief said Thursday.
Combustible materi-
als placed too close to the
heater ignited and started the
blaze in the tiny timber town
of Riddle, Fire Protection
District Chief Rich Holloway
said in a post on the district’s
Facebook page.
Holloway did not imme-
diately return two calls but
City Manager Kathy Wilson
confirmed the authenticity of
the Facebook post in a phone
interview.
The fire killed four chil-
dren ranging in age from 4
to 13, and devastated the tiny
town with a population of
fewer than 1,000 people.
A component of the fire-
place that forces heated air
back into the home malfunc-
tioned several days before
the blaze early Wednesday
and the family was using the
heater until they could get it
repaired, Holloway wrote.
“All the burn pattern indi-
cators, witness statements,
and the statement from the
father on first arrival, all col-
laborate,” he said.
Community members held
a candlelight vigil at a church
late Wednesday that attracted
more than 300 people.
Grief counselors were on
hand at schools in the South
Umpqua School District,
where some of the chil-
dren attended class, said
Superintendent Tim Porter.
The three survivors were
transported to Portland for
treatment of critical burns.
James Keith Howell, 39,
Tabitha Annette Howell, 38,
and Andrew Hall-Young, 13,
were in critical condition in
the burn center, Julie Reed,
a spokeswoman for Legacy
Emanuel Medical Center
in Portland, confirmed on
Thursday.
In a statement released
through Legacy Emanuel,
family members huddled
at the survivors’ bedside
declined interview requests.
Killed were 4-year-old
Gwendolyn Howell, 7-year-
old Haley Maher, 10-year-old
Isaiah Young and 13-year-old
Nicholas Lowe.
Nicholas Lowe was a fos-
ter child, said Douglas County
Deputy Dwes Hutson.
Tabitha Howell is the
mother of the remaining chil-
dren and is married to James
Howell.
Howell is the father of the
youngest victim and the step-
father of the two victims, ages
7 and 10, and the surviving
13-year-old.
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helping me to purchase my fi rst home! I’ve known Ross for over
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when the weather conditions
meet a level of risk, deter-
mined by a combination of
temperature, precipitation,
wind speed, and ground sur-
face. Guests can call the shel-
ter information line at 541-
636-7321 after 2 p.m. to see
if the shelter will be open that
night.
The shelter organizers also
have established a Facebook
page that everyone is encour-
aged to “like” and “follow.”
Stories of shelter happenings,
current items needed, news of
the guests, and a link to the
sign-up site are available. The
page is Sisters Cold Weather
Shelter.
Community support for
the shelter and its guests
continues to be generous.
Nourishing and tasty dinners
and breakfasts are prepared
by volunteers and brought
to the shelter. The cooks,
the guests, and the monitors
all sit down to a family din-
ner to share stories and news
of the day. If the food runs
short, Martolli’s has agreed
to provide free pizza to be
sure everyone gets enough
to eat. Last Thursday, Rio
Restaurant provided dinner
of chicken verde, rice, beans,
and salad.
Locals report that the
greatest gift to everyone has
been the breaking of stereo-
types for all those involved —
guests and volunteers. From
different circumstances, with
Jeff Jones
Principal Broker
541-480-7201
jeffjoneslcl@
gmail.com
PHOTO PROVIDED
The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration will host the Sisters shelter
through March.
a wide range of backgrounds, in shelters from New York to
people have joined together Bend, told shelter volunteers
to form a caring community that when people are treated
of love and support (see com- with compassion, dignity, and
mentary, page 16). Local respect, it can be life-chang-
businesses and private citi- ing. He said the Sisters shelter
zens have stepped up with is doing an outstanding job.
“I’ve never seen anything
food, supplies, and clothing.
Local churches are providing like it,” James said. “You are
wrapping your arms around
the facilities.
Monitors share stories these people. It is amazing.”
Monetary donations to the
about guests who carry
their head a little higher as shelter can be made through
they walk down the street. Shepherd’s House Ministries,
Physical health has improved which is processing dona-
— one resident has report- tions earmarked for Sisters.
edly gained 15 badly needed That allows donors to make
pounds from the food a tax-deductible donation,
since Shepherd’s House has
provided.
J a m e s , o n e o f t h e 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and
Shepherd House monitors the Sisters shelter has not yet
who has experience working applied for that status.
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