A 12-year-old rescued a younger sibling before alerting their father as smoke spread through the running vehicle, authorities said.
TUMWATER, Wash. — A 5-month-old baby died Tuesday after a vehicle containing three children caught fire outside a home near Tumwater, despite rescue attempts by the children’s father, neighbors and emergency responders, authorities said.
Deputies and fire personnel were sent to the 300 block of 93rd Avenue Southeast at about 12:10 p.m. July 21 after receiving a report that a vehicle was fully engulfed in flames with an infant still secured inside a car seat, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Several people suffered burns while trying to reach the baby.
Investigators said the father had been preparing to leave the home with his three children, who were 12 years old, 2 years old and 5 months old. The vehicle was running when the father briefly went back inside the residence, leaving the children in the vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.
Smoke began filling the vehicle a short time later. The 12-year-old removed the 2-year-old child from the vehicle and then ran inside to alert their father, according to investigators. By the time they returned outside, flames had spread throughout the vehicle.
The father and several nearby residents tried to put out the fire and rescue the infant. Emergency personnel continued the effort after arriving, but the baby could not be saved, authorities said. The sheriff’s office did not release the infant’s name or identify other family members.
Several people sustained burn injuries during the rescue attempts. The father, the surviving children and others who were hurt were taken for medical evaluation and treatment, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities did not disclose the severity of the injuries or identify the medical facilities where they were treated.
The sheriff’s office has not announced any arrests or allegations of criminal wrongdoing. Detectives are working with local fire investigators and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine how the fire started and why it spread so quickly.
The involvement of federal fire investigators does not by itself indicate that authorities suspect arson. The ATF routinely assists local agencies with complex fire scenes by providing investigators, technical resources and laboratory support. Officials had not announced a preliminary cause as of Wednesday.
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said the scene had a severe emotional impact on the family and the emergency workers who responded. He also thanked department chaplains for supporting those affected by the infant’s death.
The sheriff’s office said its thoughts were with the child’s family, loved ones and everyone affected by the fire. The agency did not release further details about the family, citing the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
The investigation remained active Wednesday. Authorities had not said when findings about the vehicle, its mechanical condition or the fire’s point of origin might be released.